JEDDAH — To enhance blood sugar control in the case of patients with type-2 diabetes, Novo Nordisk announced an innovative technology and treatment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, namely, the world's first drug of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) to be taken in the form of oral pills, which constitutes a new hope to improve blood sugar control for people who live with type two diabetes.
The drug was announced during a conference organized by the company at Jeddah SuperDome on the 19th of November 2021, in the presence of the Deputy Head Of Mission Counselor from the Embassy of Denmark, Mr. Michael Schack Balle Jensen, an elite of international and local Endocrinologist, Family medicine consultants, media and press representatives, and health specialists.
In this context, Dr. Raed Aldahsh, Head of Endocrinology division and Diabetes center, Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz medical City-National guard, Riyadh, said that: “There are many people living with type two diabetes in the Kingdom who are struggling to control their blood sugar, the matter which calls for the provision of more treatment options. The treatment comes as an important step in providing people who live with type two diabetes with various therapeutic benefits, in the form of a pill to be taken daily with ease and comfort”.
From her side, Dr. Dania Alkhafaji, Program Director of Diabetes fellowship at King Fahad University Hospital, Al-Khobar, indicated that the consequences of high blood sugar is not limited to the severe symptoms that the patient suffers from, but exceed to the health complications of the disease, noting that practising an unhealthy lifestyle, such as restricted movement and low physical activity and smoking, leads to a significant acceleration in the rates of prevalence of type-2 diabetes in the Kingdom, which may increase the odds of developing other diabetes-related complications.
Additionally, Family Medicine Consultant and CEO of Executive Medical Services at International Medical Centre (IMC), Dr. Ashraf Amir, expressed his admiration of the new and pioneering treatment in the Kingdom and how it will provide people with type two diabetes various therapeutic benefits, and help them control their blood sugar levels. Dr. Amir indicated that the new treatment sets a new standard for treating type two diabetes.
It is notable that according to the latest report of Ministry of Health, which indicated that type-2 diabetes affects 90% of the patients in the Kingdom, and around 4.3 Million adults with diabetes were recorded in Saudi Arabia, leading to high recorded prevalence rates of type-2 diabetes of approximately 25% of the population, which will expect to reach 50% in 2030. Despite the availability of more than 60 oral anti-diabetes drugs to treat type two diabetes worldwide, many patients fail to achieve the recommended blood sugar levels, the matter which highlights the need for new and efficacious treatment options.
In this innovative drug's clinical trial program, 9,543 adults with type-2 diabetes have participated, and patients treated with oral GLP-1RAs showed better blood sugar levels and unprecedented weight loss, when compared to other treatment options. Additionally, patients with renal or hepatic insufficiency and elderly patients do not need dose adjustments, which makes it comfortable for their use.
The conference witnessed numerous activities including scientific lectures, presentations and interactive workshops that focused on the most prominent issues and addressing centric approaches toward type 2 diabetes management along with the benefits of early initiation of GLP-1 RAs treatment. In addition to reflections on the innovative drug and its process from the laboratory to the clinical practice, as well as demonstrating the drug’s clinical trial programme, and further topics. Finally, at the end of the conference, the floor was opened to questions and discussions, where health care professionally answered all of the attendees questions.
