Read all about it. Professor Vincent Marks, a world expert on insulin who has assisted in some high profile cases of insulin murder, has written a book - the 'Insulin Murders - True Life Crimes'.

The first recorded incident of insulin used for murder was in 1957, and since then there have been about 50 cases globally of insulin being used for murder. Although insulin can be used to kill, Professor Marks said it was actually a very poor murder weapon. Detecting its use was difficult, but not as many assumed...impossible.

It is not a very good weapon especially nowadays. More tests are available to prove the misuse of insulin. If a non-diabetic is dead on arrival without a usual suspect - I suggest the coroner check the patient's blood sugar. If that's hovering around absolute zero I'd put a request in for the insulin antibody kit!

Imagine taking insulin was as easy as applying skin cream. Guess what - it's not so far fetched an idea, thanks to Phosphagenics and it may be coming soon!

Phosphagenics' has patented a transdermal carrier technology (TPM) that rapidly transports insulin across the skin without disrupting or damaging its surface. The company has recently announced successful results from clinical trials in Australia. This confirmes the TPM technology is safe and effective at delivering insulin into the bloodstream, without adverse events. The trial showed that the insulin safely penetrated through the human skin and delivered insulin into the bloodstream over a sustained period of time. Could this be the next generation of basal insulin? Adios Lantus. Arrivederci Levemir! Almost -- TPM/Insulin, applied topically, delivered insulin through the skin and into the bloodstream for up to 8 hours. So like sunblock -- you'll probably have to reapply.

Weep not, fellow Americans. Although Phosphagenics is based in Australia, they are in the process of applying for Phase 2 clinical trials in the U.S. Big ups to the Muffin Man for keeping me abreast of his leading-edge news from the diabetes-friendly forefront!

At the request of the Regulatory Affairs Manager at Generex, I am posting the following to defend the accuracy of the packaging and the claim of the product. The initial blog addressed a product called Glucose RapidSpray. The reader feedback, as well as the regulatory affairs response, is listed below. In no way, does Generex imply this product is to be used to treat hypoglycemia.

The comment to the original post stated:

The nutritional label on the product (available as a PDF on their web site) says the product has 188mg of carbs (or .188g) per serving (5 sprays). A typical glucose tablet has 4g... that's about 21x more carbs in a single glucose tablet than in 5 sprays of RapidSpray. Considering you typically use at least 15g of carbs to treat hypoglycemia, you would need around 80 sprays to get 15g of carbs into your system! When you take into account the amount of sprays you need, the calorie count isn't very much different from glucose tablets.

Read the label carefully, and be very careful using this!

The response from the Manager of Generex Regulatory Affairs states:

The product, Glucose RapidSpray™, is to be taken at the first sign of needing additional glucose in the diet, either between meals, during exercise, and/or before bedtime. It is not intended to take people out of full hypoglycemic states that normally a full tube of glucose gel or a full dose of Glucose tablets would be needed for. Glucose RapidSpray™ product is meant to be a complement to meals in order to help with glucose levels. As such, a direct correlation of carbs associated with Glucose RapidSpray™ and typical glucose tablets or gel is not warranted based on the intended use of the product. If usage of the product is maintained by taking Glucose RapidSpray™ at the first sign of needing additional glucose, then the Nutritional Facts stated on the package labeling is adequate for determining caloric intake (be it 5 sprays, 10 sprays, 15 sprays or whatever is taken to address the situation).

I consider the proactive response of Generex a good sign of how a company is run. Without needing to do so, Generex went above and beyond the call to address an open forum about the efficacy and accuracy of the product. This is the kind of interaction that convinces me a company cares! Good job, Generex! Lest I NOT hold my breath for Eli Lilly to return my call about Super Insulin. Novo Nordisk was far more receptive to address my interests, as a diabetic. Stay tuned for my follow-up on the Eli Lilly vs. Novo Nordisk – Who Love You, Baby!?!

If at first you don't succeed - go straight to the patient's home. After a lackluster attempt to sell doctor's on prescribing Phizer's inhalable insulin, Exubera, the company has decided to begin running television and print campaigns to advertise directly to patients.

The ads will start appearing the second half of 2007. However the main contention from Congress and medical groups is that mass marketing to patients encourages excessive use of costly therapies. Exubera gained a reputation for being an over priced and not-so-discreet way to administer insulin. Doctors say the inhaler is unwieldy. Depending on a patient's health care plan, they can pay about $600 a year more for Exubera than injectable forms of insulin. Clinical trials have found the product can reduce lung function for some patients. Pfizer says the condition is reversible and is conducting a five-year study among users to monitor it.

Why the push, Pfizer? You seem hell-bent on making this one stick. The president of Pfizer's worldwide pharmaceutical operations says the television ads will target newly diagnosed diabetics who may not want to inject themselves daily. Patients who develop diabetes later in life may put off using insulin because of needle phobia. Fair tradeoff: I see your fear of needles and raise you $600 a year, a license to toke (in public), and maybe a little bruising on your alveoli. Puff, puff...give it a shot.

The FDA has approved sitagliptin phosphate tablets to improve blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. The drug, named Januvia, is proudly presented to the diabetic community by Merck and Co.

JANUVIA, a once-daily pill, enhances your body's natural ability to balance blood sugar levels. Your body sends important messages to your pancreas to try to balance high blood sugar. In response, your pancreas makes more insulin and signals the liver to make less sugar. But a substance in your body called DPP-4 blocks some of these important messages. JANUVIA works by blocking DPP-4, so more of the important messages get through. It also helps your pancreas make more insulin and signal your liver to make less sugar. Another feature of this new drug is the ability to prevent your sugar from going too low. JANUVIA works only when your blood sugar levels are high, or out of balance. When your blood sugar levels are at a healthy balance, JANUVIA doesn't have an effect. Because JANUVIA stops working before your blood sugar gets too low, it is not likely to lower your blood sugar to a potentially dangerous level (hypoglycemia). One more bonus to JANUVIA is the fact that this drug did not show weight gain in most patients during clinical trials.

Could this be the answer for your diabetes dilemma? Next time you swing by your doctor's office, mention that new drug Merck released. I'm sure your doctor will be as thrilled to see your numbers controlled as you'll be to see your natural ability to control them restored. Best of luck to those who find their diabetic solution in JANUVIA!

Scientists in Taiwan reported success in early tests of oral insulin in diabetic rats. The study showed the insulin pill combination reached the rats' bloodstream and lowered their blood glucose levels.

Insulin is a pure protein and therefore must be protected from the digestive enzymes in the stomach and small intestine. Scientists found that chitosan, a chemical derived from the shells of shrimp, crabs, and lobsters allowed insulin to reach the blood stream without degradation. Chitosan encapsulation provided a protective barrier for the insulin while traveling through the stomach and small intestine.

An oral drug would be the most convenient way of delivering insulin. No more needles, no syringe - brought to you by chitosan! It almost rhymes -- but nonetheless, it's music to my ears.

Generex has been awarded the 2006 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation for its proprietary oral insulin spray product, Generex Oral-lyn.

Frost & Sullivan's Technology Innovation Award is bestowed upon a company (or individual) that has carried out new research, which has resulted in innovation(s) that have or are expected to bring significant contributions to the industry at hand. In this case, Frost & Sullivan is awarding Generex Oral-lyn as a product that is strongly positioned to be the most acceptable form of alternative, needle-free insulin delivery. This award recognizes the quality and depth of Generex's research and development program as well as the vision and risk-taking that enabled it to undertake such an endeavor.

The significance of Oral-lyn is growing in importance because of its ability to control blood sugar rises after meals. There is mounting evidence that post meal glucose control is a key factor in reducing cardiovascular risk associated with diabetes. For those who keep asking - the CFO has informed me that they are looking into other options that will get Oral-lyn into the hands (and mouths) of US diabetics by sometime in 2007.

I've mentioned the possibility of oral insulin a few times before, and I'd like to reiterate some exciting news. A recent study confirms that Generex Oral-lyn is as effective as injections in controlling after meal blood sugar rises. The study compared the effects of two forms of mealtime insulin treatments in patients with Type-1 diabetes. The patients were all on 2 daily injections of NPH insulin for long-acting blood sugar control. The study measured the efficacy in treatment of after meal blood sugar spikes.

To treat after meal blood sugar rises, 11 subjects in the control group received three pre-meal injections of regular insulin. The 14 subjects in the treatment group received three split-dose applications of Generex Oral-lyn (i.e. RapidMist puffs of Generex Oral-lyn) before and after meals. The fructosamine and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were checked approximately every 2 weeks to determine the efficacy of treatment. The study demonstrated that both Generex Oral-lyn and mealtime injections of regular insulin achieved near normalization of blood glucose. This measurement was made based on the continuous improvement in fructosamine and HbA1c levels. However, a straightforward comparison of HbA1c levels showed a superior effect for Generex Oral-lyn.

By providing a simple and effective alternative to mealtime insulin injections, Generex Oral-lyn is designed to improve patient compliance which is likely to improve diabetes control, thus reducing the risk of long-term complications. This study prepares Generex for a pivotal late-stage, long-term trial of Generex Oral-lyn which will begin early in 2007. This is sounding more promising with every press release. Thanks to the tenacious women behind the genius of Generex - we won't have to hold our breath too long before we see oral insulin. Way to go, ladies!!

Can a fluorescent light actually detect diabetes risk? Well, according to the Holland-based company DiagnOptics, it can. They have developed a new device that may be able to identify diabetes risk simply by shining a fluorescent light on a patch of skin below the elbow.

Apparently, the tool illuminates advanced glycation end products (AGEs) -- blood-vessel-damaging sugar byproducts caused by the body's inability to burn sugar efficiently -- which provides a more "long-term memory" of blood sugar control. DiagnOptics says the AGE Reader can perform its duty quickly, easily and non-invasively by using a spectrometer to detect the light emitted by the fluorescent AGEs. Throughout the course of a three- to five-year study, an AGE Reader detected a 35 percent increase in autofluorescence in diabetes patients, and a more marked increase in patients with renal failure. A study of type 2 diabetes patients found that the subjects had much more fluorescent skin than people who did not have diabetes, reported Lutgers and colleagues, two of whom are DiagnOptics co-founders. They added that the more severe the complications from diabetes, the more fluorescent the patient's skin.

"With this tool, doctors could easily check people with diabetes in an outpatient clinic setting to see whether they may already be developing dangerous complications," Lutgers said in a statement. "The sooner complications are detected, the better the chance of preventing progression of damage." I can see it now, my endogrinologist appointments will soon take place in the setting of a crime scene investigation. This discovery could add a whole new level of role playing to the amusement of my checkups. Allie, put your hands on the table please - palms up.

Generex's flagship product, Oral-lyn^TM, is an oral insulin spray for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Their technology permits the delivery of insulin through the oral cavity (with no deposit in the lungs). Whatever you do, don't call it an inhaler.

Oral-lyn^TM is a liquid form of human insulin that is absorbed through the buccal mucosa. Say that three times, fast. It is delivered through the RapidMist^TM device, which looks a lot like an inhaler. But because this device limits absorption to the mouth, there is no entry into the lungs. The rich vascularity of the buccal mucosa allows for much faster absorption of insulin and a shorter total duration of activity which makes Oral-lyn^TM an ideal mealtime insulin, as it can be conveniently administered immediately prior to meals with little prospect of hypoglycemia. Oral-lyn^TM can be used as a preventative agent by people with pre-diabetes to delay the onset of diabetes and by patients with type-2 diabetes to delay the onset of insulin dependence and the complications associated with diabetes.

Generex Oral-lyn^TM is expected to lead to an enormous improvement in the quality of life, with the elimination of pain and a significant increase in convenience. This will result in improved compliance with a relative decrease in complications and a significant reduction in the costs associated with treating them. Knowing now that you can non-invasively continuously monitor your blood sugars, patch on your basal rate, and puff (but not inhale) for your meals - I'm going to do my share of screaming from the hilltops to get these devices the attention they warrant.

Dear Mister FDA, please don't give any of these potential pipeline treatments any shenanigans. They deserve a bedtime story and a kiss on the forehead for the promise they bring to us in the cold, weary world of diabetes. Oh yeah-- and please put a little hustle in it! Yours truly, Allie B

Altea Therapeutics is working on the next generation of insulin delivery in the form of an insulin patch. Altea is developing, both 12 and 24-hour, patches to provide controlled, continuous delivery of basal insulin in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This will allow uninterrupted, measured delivery of insulin through the skin, by way of an adhesive sticker no larger than a few centimeters. For those already diagnosed with diabetes, this could be the band aid to quell their fear of needles, as well as effectively sticking to an insulin regimen. For those in limbo, diagnosed as pre-diabetes, this may be the answer your body needs to supplement your insulin reserves.

The PassPort^TM System is comprised of a single-use disposable PassPort^TM Patch and a re-useable handheld applicator. The patch is made of a metallic grid containing powder insulin. The handheld applicator releases a single pulse of electrical energy that converts into thermal energy, painlessly fastening the grid to the skin surface. The electronic pulse also creates porous channels to deliver the insulin through the skin. No injections, application in milliseconds, and continuous basal delivery of insulin throughout the day.

This breakthrough technology is about freedom, convenience and ultimately better control. The PassPort^TM System replaces injections thereby enhancing compliance in patients. This directly correlates to better diabetes control. Upon FDA approval, I can only hope this dandy contraption is warmly welcomed into your doctor's office. As every doctor continues searching for the Holy Grail of patient compliance, tell him to check this out. Talk about patching things up!