Biodel's insulin drug found effective in mid-stage trial
(Reuters) - Biodel Inc said its experimental insulin formulation was found more effective than current therapies in controlling glucose after two meals, in a mid-stage trial. Shares of the specialty pharmaceutical company rose 10.5 percent before the bell. The study was testing the drug, BIOD-531, against Eli Lilly and Co's Humalog Mix 75/25 in type 2 diabetes patients with moderate insulin resistance who use 50-200 units of insulin daily. In type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, the body does not use insulin properly, leading to high levels of blood sugar. Basal insulin, or long-acting insulin therapies, are usually prescribed to keep blood sugar levels in control between meals. Prandial insulin, or short-acting insulin therapies, are administered before meals to manage mealtime glucose. Type 2 diabetes patients are usually given both basal and prandial insulin in a single injection such as Humalog Mix 75/25, Biodel said. Humulin R U-500 is the only concentrated insulin available in the United States, the company said. The therapy is used to treat type 2 diabetes patients with severe insulin resistance, who need greater than 200 units of insulin daily. Danbury, Connecticut-based Biodel's shares closed at $1.91 on the Nasdaq on Friday. (Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bangalore; Editing by Kirti Pandey)
