American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting

The 53rd annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association was an occasion for the presentation of new data relating to the development of a number of new antidiabetic drugs. However, the most exciting new findings reported were the results from the recently terminated Diabetes Control and Complications trial. These results clearly showed the benefits of maintaining tight control of blood glucose in the prevention of diabetic complications, such as retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy. New data on a number of other antidiabetic drugs highlighted the diversity of therapeutic approaches under development for the treatment of hyperglycaemia and diabetic complications. Results from two important clinical trials on metformin were reported and will be part of a New Drug Application submitted to the FDA. In recent years there has also been much excitement about the antihyperglycaemic potential of the thiazolidl-nediones; much new data, both pre-clinical and clinical, was presented on this novel class of antihyperglycaemic agents. Several drugs of this class are in clinical trials while others are in earlier stages of development. The substantial effort dedicated to the development of these agents was reflected In the large number of studies on mechanism of action, drug safety and/or clinical efficacy that were presented. Additionally the activity of alpha glucosidase inhibitors, antiglycation agents and aldose reductase inhibitors were the subjects of other studies selected for presentation. The great diversity of presentations on new therapeutic approaches to diabetes as well as the breadth of basic research covered at these symposia made them Interesting to attend but difficult to comprehensively review In a limited space.