NEW DIABETES DRUG APPROVED

An FDA advisory panel recently recommended approval of the drug troglitazone (trade name Rezulin, from Parke- Davis), for treatment of type II (NIDDM) diabetes. FDA final approval quickly followed; then a lot of media hype about "the new miracle drug." Just what is Rezulin, and what will it do?

Where traditional oral diabetes medications stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, Rezulin directly attacks the problem of insulin resistance, the increasing inability to process insulin, that is the chief component of type II diabetes. Although the drug would be useless for type I (insulin-dependent) diabetics, many type IIs, whose bodies are still producing some insulin, might benefit from its use.

As with other oral diabetes medications, Rezulin's effectiveness depends on the presence of insulin. If sufficient insulin is not present, it must be injected, and Rezulin therapy will not change that fact. Where insulin supply rather than insulin resistance is the issue, Rezulin therapy offers nothing. What Rezulin offers is not a "magic bullet," but another useful tool, a way for type II diabetics to improve their numbers and perhaps prolong the time before they must switch to insulin injection therapy.

Troglitazone has been under investigation for some time, and with final approval, commercial availability should come shortly. For more information, consult your doctor.