The Update

1. FDA OKs 'Game-Changer' Oral GLP-1 Agonist for Type 2 Diabetes

• Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, also known as incretin mimetics, are a new class of medications used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. One of their advantages over older insulin secretagogues, such as sulfonylureas or meglitinides, is that they have a lower risk of causing hypoglycemia.
• FDA recently approved oral semaglutide, to be sold as Rybelsus, the first glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist available in a pill form. It is prescribed to diabetics as an adjunct to diet and exercise. 
• GLP-1 agonists have been available for a short while but in injectable form taken once a week. This has limited its appeal as not all patients are willing to use an injectable drug, even one only needed once a week.
• The filings are based on the PIONEER clinical trial program for oral semaglutide, which included a cardiovascular outcomes trial. Unlike the injectable form, which is given once a week, the oral form of semaglutide is taken once a day.
• The drug could address an unmet need in patients with T2D who are overweight, as the GLP-1 receptor agonist class has been shown to help patients achieve significant weight loss.

2. Researchers Investigate Possibility of Regrowing Teeth

• A team of scientists says that it’s finally figured out how to regrow tooth enamel, a development that some say could "totally upend dental care".
• Researchers from China’s Zhejiang University and Jiujiang Research Institute developed a gel that they say can help mouse teeth regrow enamel within 48 hours, according to research published last week in the journal Science Advances.
• There’s a long way to go before the gel can be used in human medicine, but it’s a promising sign that regenerative dentistry could someday heal tooth decay.
• The problem is that natural-grown enamel is 400 times thicker than that grown with assistance from the new gel. So it’s a start, but a long way out from being an established mode of treatment. 
• After its ongoing tests on mice, the team of scientists plans to actually test the gel on people, tracking how the new enamel holds up as they go about their day, eating, drinking, and chewing.

3. First Marker of Emerging Vaping-Related Pulmonary Condition Identified 

• Doctors have identified previously unrecognized characteristic of the vaping-related respiratory illness that has been emerging in clusters across the U.S. in recent months. 
• Within the lungs of these patients are large immune cells containing numerous oily droplets, called lipid-laden macrophages.  
• The finding may allow for a more confident and accurate diagnosing of the nascent syndrome more quickly and provide the right treatment sooner. So far diagnosis has been based on exclusion and history of vaping.
• Investigators at University of Utah Health reported the findings in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Sept. 6. 
• A brief description of how this illness is presenting:
  • Patients with vaping associated lung injury come to doctors complaining of dry cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, as well as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
  • They also often have fevers, body aches and drenching night sweats.
  • Patients are treated with supportive care including oxygen, and more severe cases are treated with anti-inflammatory steroids. 
  • While mild cases improve within 5-7 days, more severe cases can take weeks to recover. 
  • The most severe cases are admitted to the intensive care unit, and some have required life support.
• It is important to note that this vaping-related illness has recently been linked to THC-containing products, which are often sold off market.