Sanofi highlights efficiency of Lantus insulin treatment

French pharmaceutical company Sanofi has released new data for its top-selling diabetes drug Lantus, which shows that the insulin treatment is much more efficient than other forms of care in helping patients meet blood sugar targets.
In a statement, the drugmaker said Lantus proved three times more likely to reach and maintain glycemic target levels in patients with pre-diabetes or early type 2 diabetes at high risk of heart disease, compared to standard care .
The positive result was based on a six-year clinical trial called ORIGIN, which focused on the care of more than 12,500 pre-diabetic or type 2 diabetic patients.
Riccardo Perfetti, vice-president of medical affairs, global diabetes, at Sanofi, said the research contradicts conventional understanding that diabetes is a progressively worsening disease, as it suggests that Lantus could control the metabolic condition.
Lantus currently holds an 80 per cent share of the global market for long-acting (basal) insulins for the treatment of diabetes .
Sales of the product fell just short of 4 billion euros last year, representing 12 per cent of Sanofi’s total annual revenue, and sales of shown no signs of slowing down this year, with Sanofi posting double-digit percentage sales growth in the second quarter.