Diabetes Clinical Trials

About Diabetes

In diabetes, blood sugar levels are elevated, due to an absolute or relative insufficiency of insulin secreted by the pancreas. There are two types: type 1 (previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes), comprising 5% - 10% of cases, and type 2 (previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or maturity-onset diabetes), which make up the rest. Type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed much more often today in young adults, and even adolescents, due to sedentary lifestyles and 'fast-food' eating habits; the tissues show a 'resistance' to normal, or near normal, insulin levels.

The raised blood sugar levels in un-treated (or poorly controlled) diabetes are responsible for the main complications - heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and damaged nerves, especially in the lower limbs, which can lead to amputations. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

Diabetes Clinical Trials at Novartis

Novartis is active in finding new treatments for diabetes and its complications. Some of the conditions being investigated include:

Type 2 diabetes
Different oral medications to treat type 2 diabetes, using a variety of new approaches that can be adapted to the particular needs of individual patients, are in development.

Diabetic kidney disease
Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, accounting for more than 40% of all new cases. It may even occur when drugs and diet are able to control the diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy
This affects over 50% of diabetic patients, sooner or later; it is a leading cause of blindness in the developed world. Laser treatment is successful in many cases. For those who have failed to respond to laser therapy, a long-acting form of a hormone is being studied.

The pain of diabetic neuropathy
This pain doesn't respond well to commonly prescribed analgesics. A type of anti-convulsant drug is being studied.

Pre-diabetes
People with increased blood sugar levels 2 hours after a sugar-drink load (called impaired glucose tolerance, or IGT) are at risk of developing diabetes. A treatment is being investigated to see if it may prevent the emergence of full-blown diabetes in these persons.

If you are interested in learning more about other disease areas or therapeutic areas of Novartis clinical research, please select from the list below.

• Arthritis, Rheumatology and Bone Health Clinical Trial Information


• Cancer and Oncology Clinical Trial Information


• Cardiology and Vascular Diseases Clinical Trial Information


• Diabetes Clinical Trial Information


• Dermatology Clinical Trial Information


• Gastroenterology and Digestive Diseases Clinical Trial Information


• Neurology Clinical Trial Information


• Ophthalmology and Eye Diseases Clinical Trial Information


• Respiratory Clinical Trial Information


• Novartis Medical and Clinical Research