Merck gained ground in the race to develop a new oral diabetes treatment yesterday when the FDA agreed to review the drugmaker’s NDA for its experimental drug Januvia.If approved, Januvia would be the first in a new class of oral treatments for Type 2 diabetes, called DPP-4 that works by enhancing the body’s own ability to lower blood sugar. The filing puts Merck about three to six months ahead of Novartis, which is working on a similar drug dubbed “Galvus.” The Januvia application comes only months after Merck and Bristol-Myers Squibb ended their collaboration on the diabetes drug Pargluva, amid requests from regulators for additional data on its cardiovascular safety.
Merck moves ahead in oral diabetes drug race
Merck gained ground in the race to develop a new oral diabetes treatment yesterday when the FDA agreed to review the drugmaker’s NDA for its experimental drug Januvia.