Novo Nordisk Seeks New Uses for Victoza

Novo Nordisk’s Chief Science Officer Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen stated that the pharmaceutical company is looking into continuing trials to determine if Victoza could be marketed as a possible Alzheimer’s treatment.  Victoza is currently going through a proof of concept study.  If this is successful, the drug will continue through phase III clinical trials to see if the drug may be approved for Alzheimer’s treatment.  This proof of concept study can take up to three years however, so the drug being on the market for such use is several years off.

Novo is hoping that Victoza can be shown to reverse memory loss in mice, and to reduce the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain that causes dementia.

Moving an already approved drug through trials for new approvals is much faster and less expensive for drug companies than developing new drugs altogether, making this a tempting route for many pharmaceutical companies.  Novo is not only seeking to gain an Alzheimer’s indication for Victoza in the coming years, but is also seeking to get Victoza approved as a treatment for obesity in both the United States and the European Union.

Novo is not the only drug company seeking an Alzheimer’s indication from a drug currently approved for diabetes.  Takeda is in phase III trials with its diabetes drug Actos to see its effect in people at risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

Should drug companies be seeking wider usage of drugs that have already been shown to be dangerous in the populations taking them?  Both Victoza and Actos have been linked to various serious side effects such as pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, and pancreatitis.  Suits are currently underway in which thousands of injured patients are seeking compensation from drug companies for their serious injuries after using diabetes treatments such as Victoza, Actos, Januvia, and Byetta.

Have you taken one of these type 2 diabetes treatments and have suffered serious complications?  Contact a dangerous diabetes drug attorney at Kirkendall Dwyer LLP today.  When you contact our offices, you will speak directly to an attorney who can provide you with an immediate assessment of your case.  As always, we work on a contingent fee basis, so we don’t see a dime until we recover compensation for you.  You have nothing to lose.  Do not suffer alone.  Contact us today.

Source: PM Live, “Novo backs Victoza’s prospects in Alzheimer’s”