'Game changer' diabetes pill a step closer after trials
That's the prediction from Australian diabetes experts, as the first phase three clinical trial data was released for a new type of medicine that lowers blood sugar.
Once-a-day pill Orforglipron was shown to imitate a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite, according to the study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.
"It's really, really exciting," Australian Diabetes Society chief executive Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos told AAP.
"The reduction in blood glucose and weight with Orforglipron is similar, if not a little bit better, than the similar clinical trials that were done for Ozempic and Mounjaro."
The results of the trials, involving 500 adults with type 2 diabetes, were unveiled at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in Chicago over the weekend.
Reported side effects were similar to existing medications like gastrointestinal issues, while the drug company did not flag any unexpected safety concerns.
The trial focused on diabetes treatment and not specifically weight loss.
Other oral diabetes medications already exist but this medication is significant as it's the first synthetic treatment to reach phase three trials, Prof Andrikopoulos said.
He expected approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration would be "reasonable straightforward" once it receives an application by drug developer Eli Lilly, which also makes Mounjaro.
The synthetic chemical is easier to make than other drugs involving modified peptides and doesn't need to be refrigerated, hoping it would be cheaper and easier to transport to remote areas than injectable treatments.
"These are potentially disease modifying therapies, and in that respect it's a game-changer," Prof Andrikopoulos said.
"In terms of managing types of diabetes and obesity, I think we are at the cusp of being able to make a significant impact on reducing obesity in Australia and around the world."
Sydney-based Endocrinologist Associate Professor Ted Wu treats many patients with diabetes and said physicians had been "crying out" for oral alternatives to incretin injections.
While optimistic about the findings, he cautioned it was not a "head to head" trial measuring the effectiveness of Orforglipron against injections but said it appears the results were very similar.
"As it stands, this looks like it offers all the advantages of the current incretin injections, but with all the advantages of an oral once-a-day medication and hopefully with far fewer supply issues," he said.
Prof Wu said looking at past performance, the TGA would probably take between 12 and 24 months to approve the new drug.
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News.com.au
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- News.com.au
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The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'We're here': Australia joins the race for US academics
Australia hopes to bring America's brightest minds Down Under as Donald Trump's research cuts spark a US brain drain. The US president has taken a chainsaw to science funding, slashing thousands of government grants and transforming the global state of research. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said efforts by the Australian Academy of Science to attract American talent was good national co-ordination. "I'm very pro-American, but if their current government doesn't want some of their best to brightest minds, why should we let them go to Europe or Asia?" he told AAP. "We haven't invented this challenging environment for American higher education ... but that doesn't mean that we should sit back and watch the French, the Germans, the Asian nations, recruit these clever people without at least Australia saying 'we're here too'." The academy has designed a relocation package which includes research funding, access to facilities, family relocation support and visa acceleration in a bid to recruit leading US scientists and Australians returning home. About 70 people have already indicated interest. Some were directly impacted by the Trump administration's budget cuts and lost either their positions or support for their areas of research. Though there have been cuts across a range of disciplines, some of the more significant slashes have been applied to areas such as virology and immunology, alongside cuts to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration which enables researchers to forecast weather and model climate change. Other interested researchers have seen the havoc wreaked on American academia and become "disillusioned or despairing" of their ability to pursue their interests in the US, Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said. By comparison, Australia's research landscape is more stable and less politically driven. "Whilst it's a volatile situation and quite an unfortunate one that we are experiencing, there is a tremendous opportunity for Australia," she told AAP. By bringing more to Australia, they can contribute to research and development which can eventually open up new economic sectors, new trade potential and a plethora of other benefits, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering chief executive Kylie Walker said. "You're looking at a decade or more to show benefits from that investment, but when they come - my goodness - they come," she told AAP. Australia isn't the only nation hoping to capitalise on Mr Trump's attack on academia. His cuts have ignited a "global race" for science and technology talent, and Australia's universities, research organisations and agencies such as the CSIRO are all trying to attract them. Almost half of the academy's fellows, which are Australia's most distinguished scientists, were born overseas and many had a multiplier effect when they arrived in Australia as they trained the next generation and helped seed industries. "This is the Australian story, this is what science is in Australia," Ms Arabia said. "It's multicultural, it's of the highest standard, it's undertaken in a supportive environment and in a democratic environment where we nurture science and our scientists." Australia hopes to bring America's brightest minds Down Under as Donald Trump's research cuts spark a US brain drain. The US president has taken a chainsaw to science funding, slashing thousands of government grants and transforming the global state of research. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said efforts by the Australian Academy of Science to attract American talent was good national co-ordination. "I'm very pro-American, but if their current government doesn't want some of their best to brightest minds, why should we let them go to Europe or Asia?" he told AAP. "We haven't invented this challenging environment for American higher education ... but that doesn't mean that we should sit back and watch the French, the Germans, the Asian nations, recruit these clever people without at least Australia saying 'we're here too'." The academy has designed a relocation package which includes research funding, access to facilities, family relocation support and visa acceleration in a bid to recruit leading US scientists and Australians returning home. About 70 people have already indicated interest. Some were directly impacted by the Trump administration's budget cuts and lost either their positions or support for their areas of research. Though there have been cuts across a range of disciplines, some of the more significant slashes have been applied to areas such as virology and immunology, alongside cuts to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration which enables researchers to forecast weather and model climate change. Other interested researchers have seen the havoc wreaked on American academia and become "disillusioned or despairing" of their ability to pursue their interests in the US, Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said. By comparison, Australia's research landscape is more stable and less politically driven. "Whilst it's a volatile situation and quite an unfortunate one that we are experiencing, there is a tremendous opportunity for Australia," she told AAP. By bringing more to Australia, they can contribute to research and development which can eventually open up new economic sectors, new trade potential and a plethora of other benefits, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering chief executive Kylie Walker said. "You're looking at a decade or more to show benefits from that investment, but when they come - my goodness - they come," she told AAP. Australia isn't the only nation hoping to capitalise on Mr Trump's attack on academia. His cuts have ignited a "global race" for science and technology talent, and Australia's universities, research organisations and agencies such as the CSIRO are all trying to attract them. Almost half of the academy's fellows, which are Australia's most distinguished scientists, were born overseas and many had a multiplier effect when they arrived in Australia as they trained the next generation and helped seed industries. "This is the Australian story, this is what science is in Australia," Ms Arabia said. "It's multicultural, it's of the highest standard, it's undertaken in a supportive environment and in a democratic environment where we nurture science and our scientists." Australia hopes to bring America's brightest minds Down Under as Donald Trump's research cuts spark a US brain drain. The US president has taken a chainsaw to science funding, slashing thousands of government grants and transforming the global state of research. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said efforts by the Australian Academy of Science to attract American talent was good national co-ordination. "I'm very pro-American, but if their current government doesn't want some of their best to brightest minds, why should we let them go to Europe or Asia?" he told AAP. "We haven't invented this challenging environment for American higher education ... but that doesn't mean that we should sit back and watch the French, the Germans, the Asian nations, recruit these clever people without at least Australia saying 'we're here too'." The academy has designed a relocation package which includes research funding, access to facilities, family relocation support and visa acceleration in a bid to recruit leading US scientists and Australians returning home. About 70 people have already indicated interest. Some were directly impacted by the Trump administration's budget cuts and lost either their positions or support for their areas of research. Though there have been cuts across a range of disciplines, some of the more significant slashes have been applied to areas such as virology and immunology, alongside cuts to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration which enables researchers to forecast weather and model climate change. Other interested researchers have seen the havoc wreaked on American academia and become "disillusioned or despairing" of their ability to pursue their interests in the US, Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said. By comparison, Australia's research landscape is more stable and less politically driven. "Whilst it's a volatile situation and quite an unfortunate one that we are experiencing, there is a tremendous opportunity for Australia," she told AAP. By bringing more to Australia, they can contribute to research and development which can eventually open up new economic sectors, new trade potential and a plethora of other benefits, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering chief executive Kylie Walker said. "You're looking at a decade or more to show benefits from that investment, but when they come - my goodness - they come," she told AAP. Australia isn't the only nation hoping to capitalise on Mr Trump's attack on academia. His cuts have ignited a "global race" for science and technology talent, and Australia's universities, research organisations and agencies such as the CSIRO are all trying to attract them. Almost half of the academy's fellows, which are Australia's most distinguished scientists, were born overseas and many had a multiplier effect when they arrived in Australia as they trained the next generation and helped seed industries. "This is the Australian story, this is what science is in Australia," Ms Arabia said. "It's multicultural, it's of the highest standard, it's undertaken in a supportive environment and in a democratic environment where we nurture science and our scientists." Australia hopes to bring America's brightest minds Down Under as Donald Trump's research cuts spark a US brain drain. The US president has taken a chainsaw to science funding, slashing thousands of government grants and transforming the global state of research. Former Labor leader Bill Shorten, now vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra, said efforts by the Australian Academy of Science to attract American talent was good national co-ordination. "I'm very pro-American, but if their current government doesn't want some of their best to brightest minds, why should we let them go to Europe or Asia?" he told AAP. "We haven't invented this challenging environment for American higher education ... but that doesn't mean that we should sit back and watch the French, the Germans, the Asian nations, recruit these clever people without at least Australia saying 'we're here too'." The academy has designed a relocation package which includes research funding, access to facilities, family relocation support and visa acceleration in a bid to recruit leading US scientists and Australians returning home. About 70 people have already indicated interest. Some were directly impacted by the Trump administration's budget cuts and lost either their positions or support for their areas of research. Though there have been cuts across a range of disciplines, some of the more significant slashes have been applied to areas such as virology and immunology, alongside cuts to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration which enables researchers to forecast weather and model climate change. Other interested researchers have seen the havoc wreaked on American academia and become "disillusioned or despairing" of their ability to pursue their interests in the US, Australian Academy of Science chief executive Anna-Maria Arabia said. By comparison, Australia's research landscape is more stable and less politically driven. "Whilst it's a volatile situation and quite an unfortunate one that we are experiencing, there is a tremendous opportunity for Australia," she told AAP. By bringing more to Australia, they can contribute to research and development which can eventually open up new economic sectors, new trade potential and a plethora of other benefits, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering chief executive Kylie Walker said. "You're looking at a decade or more to show benefits from that investment, but when they come - my goodness - they come," she told AAP. Australia isn't the only nation hoping to capitalise on Mr Trump's attack on academia. His cuts have ignited a "global race" for science and technology talent, and Australia's universities, research organisations and agencies such as the CSIRO are all trying to attract them. Almost half of the academy's fellows, which are Australia's most distinguished scientists, were born overseas and many had a multiplier effect when they arrived in Australia as they trained the next generation and helped seed industries. "This is the Australian story, this is what science is in Australia," Ms Arabia said. "It's multicultural, it's of the highest standard, it's undertaken in a supportive environment and in a democratic environment where we nurture science and our scientists."
ABC News
8 hours ago
- ABC News
ADHD meds are in short supply. Here's why, and what can you do about it
Some of the most common medications for ADHD are set to be in short supply until the end of the year, which means plenty of people across Australia may find their pharmacist can't fill their prescriptions. So, what are your options? We asked the experts why this was happening and what you can do if you're unable to fill out your regular prescription. In short, it's complicated. As Professor Dave Coghill explained, it came down to both a supply issue for the raw ingredient from the United States used in methylphenidate — and found in popular brands such as Ritalin and Concerta — as well as an increase in diagnoses. "It's actually a very complex supply chain problem. There's no malice and I think the companies that make the medication are quite embarrassed that they aren't able to fulfil their demands," he said. "It's a global problem, but not one that it's very easy — even for the companies based in Australia selling the medicines — to do anything about because they're not in control of production." It's difficult to put an exact number on the amount of people affected in Australia, because not everyone with a diagnosis is medicated. But it's estimated more than one million Australians live with ADHD. Professor Coghill, president of the Australasian ADHD Professionals Association, said the impact was significant. "Of the total number [of people medicated], we're talking under 1 per cent, but 1 per cent of all Australians is still a lot of Australians," he said. Firstly, don't panic. Because the issue is specifically about the supply of methylphenidate, there are other medications that should be available. If your regular medication isn't in stock, there are others that are equally as good, Professor Coghill said. He suggested going to your prescriber — such as your psychiatrist or your child's developmental paediatrician — and explaining the issue. They should be able to help. "Talk to your prescriber, talk to them quickly. Don't leave it lingering. People with ADHD are very good at procrastinating," he said. Professor Coghill said "almost always" your prescriber will be able to work out a good solution for you. John Kramer, the chair of the Royal Australian College of GP's ADHD, ASD and neurodiversity specialist group, is a certified prescriber and GP. He agreed. "All prescribers will now be aware of the problem — you'd have to be living under a rock not to know about it," he said. "I think if you've got an existing patient that you're prescribing for, then you've got a professional responsibility to not delay, too long, in them accessing their care. "And that means you have to slow down seeing new patients." Again, don't stress. Dr Kramer said your regular GP can also assist. "GPs who see patients with ADHD, who aren't actually prescribing for them, can still be helpful," he explained. "If a patient or a child is completely out of their medication and can't get seen, they can still approach their GP because advocacy is still one of the most important roles that GPs have." Your GP can also ring the regulatory authority in your jurisdiction and make an individual application for medication. "If you've got a patient that's completely out [of medication] and they can't get seen, they can put the case that this person is completely out of their usual stuff. That they can't be seen for a couple of months," Dr Kramer said. "I think that the regulator would have to show some compassion and flexibility." Generally, this isn't a good idea. While Professor Coghill acknowledged any adult with ADHD was able to make their own decisions, and the medication doesn't come with withdrawal symptoms, it's best to continue being treated during the shortage. "ADHD isn't just a school thing or a work thing. Family tensions can be greater when people aren't treated and less when they are treated," he said.
