Diabetes

ABBOTT PARK, Ill. Drug makers Abbott and Reata Pharmaceuticals have signed an agreement concerning a drug for chronic kidney disease.

The two companies said Thursday that they would develop and commercialize bardoxolone methyl, currently in mid-stage clinical trials.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. Sanofi-Aventis has tapped actors Paul and Mira Sorvino to launch an awareness program aimed to help people living with diabetes and those who support them.

The "Diabetes Co-Stars" program provides family and friends of diabetics with advice on lifestyle choices, healthy cooking, promoting physical activity and treatment options including insulin, Sanofi-Aventis said. DiabetesCoStars.com provides links to the Sanofi-Aventis diabetes social media pages, including Facebook and Twitter.

PARIS An investigational treatment made by French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis showed “significant” improvement in blood-glucose control in patients with diabetes, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial presented at a scientific meeting.

PARIS An injected insulin made by French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis provided further reduction of blood sugar in patients with Type 2 diabetes when added to oral diabetes drugs, according to a study presented at a medical conference in Sweden.

PLYMOUTH, Minn. A national strategic partnership between the American Diabetes Association and HearPO will provide additional resources to educate people with diabetes, medical practitioners and the general public about the connection between diabetes and hearing loss.

DALLAS A new study published in Circulation Research, a journal of the American Heart Association, found that blood levels of some ribonucleic acids — known as microRNAs — vary among those with Type 2 diabetes or those who develop the disease, compared with healthy people.

MicroRNA comprises shorter molecular chains than so-called messenger RNA, which takes the genetic information contained within the DNA and allows it to be turned into proteins with various functions, and previously has been linked to numerous diseases, including diabetes.

JERUSALEM Oramed Pharmaceuticals has seen promising results from a clinical trial of an oral insulin for diabetes, the Israeli drug maker said.

The company said its exploratory clinical trial of the oral insulin capsule ORMD-0801 was successful. The company is developing the capsule as a treatment for patients with uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes. The company also is developing the oral insulin as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes.