New drug, program to address ‘diabesity’
Most Filipino diabetics are struggling in managing their weight, a consequence of either their lifestyle or the antidiabetes medications they are taking.
Almost 85 percent of Filipinos with type 2 diabetes are struggling to achieve their target blood glucose level and managing their weight since three out of four among them are overweight. These conditions gave rise to what is called “diabesity,” or the combination of diabetes and obesity, said Dr. Cynthia Rosanna Manabat, former president of the Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM).”
Sometimes referred to as obesity-dependent diabetes, Manabat said diabesity is recognized as a major public health problem with many treatment challenges. She spoke during a media briefing on “diabesity” by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca Philippines last October 7 at Dusit Thani Manila Hotel in Makati.
During the media briefing, AstraZeneca Philippines medical and regulatory affairs director Dr. Milagros Tan-Pineda discussed the Dapagliflozin Education Lifestyle and Treatment Adherence (Delta) patient support program, which takes advantage of AstraZeneca’s new drug dapagliflozin.
The Delta patient support program, which was launched last June, would last for six months. It gives physicians an opportunity to prescribe dapagliflozin to appropriate patients early on, and aims to enhance understanding and experience with SGLT2 inhibitors, particularly dapagliflozin. The Delta program kit includes 14-day starter and 60-day dose packs as well as education materials.
‘A struggle’
“We all know it is a struggle for diabetes patients to maintain their waistline and proper weight,” Tan-Pineda said. “Given the current challenges of patients to adhere to therapy and lifestyle change, Delta offers patient education, adherence reminders and individualized lifestyle support program in partnership with their physicians.”
On the other hand, dapagliflozin belongs to a new class of antidiabetes agents called SGLT2 inhibitors that target the kidney to promote the elimination of glucose through the urine. It is the first SGLT2 inhibitor to receive European Medicines Agency marketing authorization.
Dapagliflozin has been subsequently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is also approved in 40 countries including the Philippines’ FDA, thus making it available in the market since August this year.
Dapagliflozin provides significant and sustained reduction in HbAlc, an important blood parameter that shows how well diabetes is being controlled. Because of its unique mechanism of action, dapagliflozin provides additional benefits of weight loss and blood pressure reduction. It also has a low incidence of hypoglycemic events (excessively low blood glucose levels). A once-daily oral tablet that can be taken regardless of meals, dapagliflozin offers simple and convenient dosing that can enhance treatment adherence.
“The kidneys play a major role in glucose regulation, and SGLT2 inhibitors are a new class of drugs that can help address ’diabesity’ and enable patients to manage their diabetes and its co-morbidities better,” said Tan-Pineda. “We now have a treatment method that can help improve glycemic control and, at the same time, help in weight loss.”
