Bristol-Myers drops development of diabetes drug

Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that it has ceased development of Pargluva (also known as muraglitazar), a diabetes drug that had shown a great deal of promise in lowering blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics who don’t respond to metformin (Glucophage).

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found that use of Pargluva could double the risk of death, heart attack or stroke in patients with diabetes, in study results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“If the analysis was correct, Pargluva would have been a public health catastrophe,” said Dr. Steven Nissen, a prominent heart specialist and co-author of the JAMA study.

In their press release, Bristol-Myers stated: “Based on this assessment, the company’s commercial evaluation of other diabetes alternatives likely to be available in five years and consideration of competing development opportunities in the company’s portfolio, Bristol-Myers Squibb has decided to discontinue the compound (muraglitazar)’s development.”

(via Foodconsumer.com)