New Diabetes Drug

FDA approves liraglutide to treat type 2 diabetes.
The AP (1/26) reports that the FDA "on Monday approved Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's once-daily injection for treating type 2 diabetes," called Victoza (liraglutide), "but said more safety studies are needed before it can be cleared as a first-line treatment for the disease." The FDA "said it approved the drug...to help lower blood sugar levels when coupled with diet, exercise and other diabetes medicines."
Dow Jones Newswire (1/26, Shwiff) notes that the FDA is requiring a study to evaluate the cardiovascular safety of the drug in a higher-risk population, as well as a five-year epidemiological study that will use a health claims database to gauge cancer risks and risks for low blood glucose levels, pancreatitis and allergic reactions. Reuters (1/26, Geller) and Bloomberg News (1/26, Cortez, Larkin) also cover the story.