LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The conference highlighted promising new treatments which are likely to be approved in the coming years.

Novo Nordisk gave presentations on the results of degludec, ultra-long-acting insulin for patients with Type 2 diabetes. In a yearlong, 1,030-patient study compared degludec with Sanofi's Lantus, the world's top-selling insulin. Degludec reduced low blood sugar during the night, when it is at its most deadly, by 36 percent. Degludec also reduced severe hypoglycemia significantly, compared to Lantus. Those problems occurred less than once in a year in both groups of patients, though.

Because degludec is active in the body for more than the standard 24 hours for long-acting insulins, patients can maintain good blood sugar control even if they don't take it at the same time every day. The Food and Drug Administration has pushed back a review of the new drug until Oct. 29 in order to allow more time to review data.

Canagliflozin, part of a newer class of diabetes drugs called SGLT2 inhibitors, was presented by Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Research unit. Demonstrated in five late-stage studies on its daily Type 2 diabetes pill, they work primarily by increasing how much glucose is excreted in urine. One year-long study found it reduced long-term blood sugar levels and also helped patients lose much more weight than Merck & Co.'s blockbuster pill Januvia.

Johnson & Johnson has applied for U.S. approval of its drug on May 29.

Eli Lilly and partner Boehringer Ingelheim of Germany also released results from two mid-stage studies of their new short-acting insulin, known as LY2605541.

LY2605541 was slightly better at reducing blood sugar levels in Type 1 diabetics and about the same in Type 2 diabetics. In the eight-week Type 1 study, patients getting LY2605541 lost about 2.5 pounds on average while those on Lantus gained 1.5 pounds. Weight changes were similar, but smaller, in the Type 2 study.

LY2605541 still must go through late-stage testing before approval can be sought.

There were many several other companies presenting data on an experimental patch to deliver insulin pain-free and two devices in early development that would work like an artificial pancreas, monitoring blood sugar continuously to help control when an insulin pump releases the hormone into the patient's blood.

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.