PARSIPPANY, N.J., June 26 /PRNewswire/ — Results of a new
study demonstrated that initial combination therapy with
Welchol® (colesevelam HCl) 3.75 g/d and metformin (initiated at
850 mg/d; uptitrated to 1700 mg/d thereafter) significantly
improved glycemic and lipid control in drug-naive adult type 2
diabetes patients with high LDL cholesterol (LDL-C). In the
study, treatment with Welchol plus metformin significantly reduced
mean A1C levels by 1.1 percent and LDL-C levels by 21 percent.
In addition, approximately two-thirds of patients who
received Welchol plus metformin achieved the American Diabetes
Association (ADA)’s glycemic goal of A1C levels less than 7
percent, which was statistically significant compared with
metformin plus placebo alone.(1) Results of the randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled study were presented today at the
70th Scientific Sessions of the ADA in Orlando.
“In this study, early intervention with Welchol and metformin
significantly reduced A1C and LDL cholesterol levels, two important
risk factors for cardiovascular disease, in drug-naive adult type 2
diabetes patients with high cholesterol,” said Yehuda Handelsman, MD, FACP, FACE, Medical
Director of the Metabolic Institute of America in Tarzana, Calif. and investigator of the
study. “Notably, these data indicate that initial combination
therapy with Welchol and metformin may represent a safe and
effective option to help patients with type 2 diabetes reach
glycemic and lipid goals.”
About 23.6 million, or 8 percent of people in the United States, have diabetes, and
approximately 90 to 95 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes
have type 2 diabetes.(2) The ADA and the Ameri
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