Drug Lowers Blood Sugar in a New Way

An experimental drug helps to reduce blood sugar in a different way for people with type 2 diabetes, researchers report. The drug is called dapagliflozin. Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca are developing it together. The drug causes the kidneys to remove more glucose (sugar) from the body through urine. It is intended to be used along with current drugs. The study included 534 adults who were already taking metformin. They were randomly assigned to receive either the new drug or a placebo. After 24 weeks, researchers measured hemoglobin A1C levels in the blood. This is a measurement of blood sugar control over time. Compared with the people taking only metformin, those who took both drugs had better blood sugar control. They also lost about 4 more pounds, on average, than those who took metformin only. The study was presented at a conference.