Friday, January 25, 2013

GlaxoSmithKline Submits New Diabetes Treatment

On January 14,London-based GlaxoSmithKline,a leading pharmaceutical and health care company,submitted albiglutide BLA,an investigational once-weekly treatment for adult type 2 diabetes,to the FDA.The drug will also be submitted to the European Union in early 2013.
Albiglutide is a GLP-1 agonist,a biotech drug that is designed for once-weekly subcutaneous dosing.GLP-1 is a peptide,a short chain of amino acids, normally secreted from the gastrointestinal tract during eating which helps release insulin to help control blood sugar.GLP-1 secretion is absent or reduced in those with type 2 diabetes.
While GLP-1 rapidly degrades,the new treatment,albiglutide,has been engineered to have a longer duration of action.It is comprised of two copies of modified human GLP-1 fused in series to human albumin,a protein made by the liver,the company said.
Shares of GlaxoSmithKline closed flat at 44.83 in Thursday trading.
GlaxoSmithKline(GSK)

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