The American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) presented a webinar on February 24th, 2011; titled "Novel Biomarkers for the Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes," in which glycated albumin (GA) was described as a promising biomarker for patients who are underserved by usual diabetes monitoring methods. Glycated albumin is the cornerstone of Epinex's flagship product – the G1A™ Rapid Diabetes Monitoring Index Test.

     The presenters described limitations inherent in glycated haemoglobin (A1c) testing and acknowledged that there is a "window of need" for shorter-term glycation markers such as GA. While the need for larger scale clinical trials was emphasized, there was general consensus among the presenters that GA could be a valuable tool for diabetes monitoring.

     AstraZeneca PLC and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. say their diabetes drug Onglyza has been approved in Europe for treating people with Type 2 diabetes who have moderate or severe renal impairment.

     The two companies said Friday that the approval from the European Commission makes Onglyza the first so-called DPP4 drug cleared for such purposes in Europe.

     For its regular use, Onglyza has been submitted for regulatory review in almost 90 countries and is approved in 56 countries, including the United States, Canada, Chile, India, Brazil and 30 European countries.