Novo Nordisk’s Victoza shows efficacy in fasting diabetes patients

Novo Nordisk has announced data from a new study showing the benefits its drug Victoza can offer to Muslim diabetes patients who are fasting during Ramadan.

The study findings showed that adults with type 2 diabetes who were treated with Victoza, in combination with metformin, experienced similar improvements in blood glucose control while fasting during the four-week religious festival compared with sulfonylurea plus metformin.

People treated with Victoza also demonstrated significantly better weight loss and fewer confirmed hypoglycaemic episodes compared with those treated with sulfonylurea during Ramadan.

More than 50 million Muslims worldwide with diabetes fast during Ramadan, creating an estimated 7.5-fold increased risk of severe hypoglycaemia and a fivefold increased risk of severe hyperglycaemia.

Dr Sami Azar, professor of medicine at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, said: "Fasting during Ramadan presents unique medical challenges for people living with type 2 diabetes and their healthcare providers."

The company recorded a double-digit year-on-year sales increase for Victoza during the first quarter of 2015, with the therapy proving a key driver of growth for the company.