Diabetes Drugs Debate: Old or New Medications?

July 16, 2007 — -- When it comes to prescription medication, newer might not necessarily be better, according to a new study.

This time, it's drugs for diabetes: A new analysis found that older drugs were just as safe and effective as newer, highly touted diabetes drugs, such as Actos and Avandia.

"I think the message from this study is to consider the tried-and-true drugs and remember that they can most likely be the most effective and most affordable," said Gail Shearer, director of health-policy analysis for Consumer's Union.

Consumer's Union found that older drugs, such as metformin — sold under the name Glucophage — can cost consumers $38 to $60 a month for the generic medication. Actos, on the other hand, runs about $140 to $240 a month; Avandia, from $130 to $260 per month.

The Consumer's Union's study serves as a consumer guide to accompany an analysis published Monday by the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Avandia's sales have already taken a hit, after a recent study linked the drug to increased heart problems. This latest report is likely to depress sales further.

However, Melinda Stubbee, spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline, Avandia's manufacturer, said the study contained no new information and was only a review of older, short-term studies.

Stubbee instead cites a larger, long-term clinical study that, she said, "has recently shown Avandia has greater long-term effectiveness and a safety profile comparable to the most commonly prescribed diabetes medicine."

Takeda Pharmaceuticals, which makes Actos, declined to comment ahead of the Federal Drug Administration, which will take up the issue of the diabetes drugs' safety and effectiveness later this month.

But, those who follow the pharmaceutical industry say there's a broader lesson here — that many new drugs, often marketed as blockbuster medications, are anything but.

"Companies spend a huge amount of money to launch a drug and try to get people to use it, and often mislead patients and doctors into thinking the drug is safer or more effective than it is," said Sidney Wolfe, editor of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen's WorstPills.org Web site.