By Amina Abdul Salam Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population has approved the registration of a new, long-acting insulin drug, Toujeo, for the treatment of adult patients with diabetes types 1 and 2, administered by one slow injection under the skin, whose effect lasts for 36 hours. The new drug keeps the level of insulin stable in the blood throughout the day. It reduces the likelihood of episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), especially during sleep. During a press conference held in Cairo recently, Dr Hisham el-Hefnawi, Director of the National Diabetes Institute, pointed out that diabetes is one of Egypt's health challenges, since there are 8.2 million diabetic patients in the country. Egypt is ranked eighth in the world in terms of the spread of the disease. It is expected to be ranked sixth by 2045, when the number of diabetics is due to rise to 16.7 million, unless measures are put in place to control the disease. Dr Salah el-Ghazali Harb, Professor of Internal Diseases and Diabetes at Cairo University, said that the problem of a raised sugar level in the blood is common among diabetics when their condition is uncontrolled. This can greatly harm different parts of the body such as the heart, the blood vessels, the eyes, the kidneys and the nerves. Dr Inas Shaltout, Professor of Internal Diseases and Diabetes at Cairo University, said that several patients with type 2 diabetes need insulin, if the treatment with tablets fails to maintain the required level of sugar in the blood. They also need insulin at the start of treatment, if their blood sugar count is high. She confirmed that insulin therapy for type 2 diabetics, at the beginning of the disease, controls the glucose level and maintains the function of the pancreas and its cells that secrete insulin. Dr Salah Shelbaya, Professor of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Ain Shams University, noted that the new insulin drug does not cause a drop in the level of glucose in the blood, especially during sleep. The new drug helps stabilise the level of sugar in the blood throughout the day. Dr Yehia Ghanem, the Head of the department of Internal Diseases at Alexandria University, said that the new insulin drug was launched for the first time in the United States of America in 2015 and it has become available in up to 65 other countries. Alexis Moyrand, Director General of Sanofi Aventis in Egypt and Sudan, noted that the company was eager to provide Egyptian patients with new therapies for different conditions such as diabetes and cardiac disease, and for fighting off infection. The company has been a partner in Egypt's healthcare journey for more than 55 years.
