Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

Preventing Type 2 Diabetes - Landmark Study Shows The Way

Media Release

Final

NZ time, 26 August 2002

Preventing type 2 diabetes - landmark study shows the way.

Roche announced today that the results of the four year landmark XENDOS study involving 3304 obese patients demonstrated that the weight loss medication Xenical can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the XENDOS study data showed significant and sustained weight loss over the four year period1.

Commenting on the results presented at the 9th International Congress on Obesity (ICO) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Professor Lars Sjöström the XENDOS principal investigator, said "Against the background of several studies which show lifestyle intervention in the prevention of diabetes to be successful, it is a significant step forward to be able to show that treatment with Xenical in combination with lifestyle modification is more effective than lifestyle intervention alone both in diabetes prevention and weight loss."

Head of Human Nutrition at the University of Otago, Professor Jim Mann, says the Xendos study is significant as it suggests an additional tool which may help to reduce weight and therefore the risk of type 2 diabetes.

"This is another weapon in our armoury to reduce the risk of diabetes. We know that any weight loss reduces risk but some people require assistance to do this. It would seem to be the combination of the drug together with lifestyle modification which has produced this appreciate benefit."

Professor Mann says New Zealand is facing an obesity epidemic and there is no doubt that obesity is the major risk factor in type 2 diabetes. This means weight loss is the main objective in preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes.

Stuart Knight, Pharmaceutical Business Manager for Roche Products NZ Ltd, shares Professor Mann's optimism for this landmark study.

"In 1986, 1500 people died from diabetes in New Zealand. By 2011 this number is expected to be 2100. The rates of people developing type 2 diabetes is also set to sky rocket from 81,000 in 1996 to 145,000 by 2011. This is directly related to the increasing rates of obesity in New Zealand and what the Xendos study shows us that Xenical together with lifestyle intervention can make a real difference for these people".

XENDOS study results showed that1:

* Xenical plus lifestyle intervention is significantly better than lifestyle intervention alone in preventing or delaying the development of type 2 diabetes in obese patients

* The risk of developing type 2 diabetes was 37% lower in people treated with Xenical plus lifestyle intervention compared with lifestyle intervention alone

* Weight loss, both in the short and the long term, was significantly greater with Xenical plus lifestyle intervention compared with lifestyle intervention alone (-11.4 kg vs -7.5 kg at one year and -6.9 kg vs -4.1kg at four years)

* Weight loss was successfully maintained in the long-term, with 26% of Xenical treated patients losing more than 10% or more body weight at the end of four years of treatment compared with only 16% of lifestyle treated patients. Even more patients had lost 5% or more body weight after four years (53% vs 37%), an amount that has been shown to have clear health benefits

* Xenical-treated patients had significant, sustained, long-term improvements in cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and lipid profiles compared with lifestyle intervention alone

* The authors conclude that this study confirms the efficacy and safety of long-term Xenical treatment for up to four years.

Ends
Notes to Editors:

About Xenical

Xenical is the only available weight loss medication that works locally in the gut to prevent dietary fat absorption by around 30 per cent to effectively promote weight loss. It is an effective therapy that not only helps patients lose weight, but also helps them maintain their weight loss. Xenical is well tolerated and unlike appetite suppressants, it does not act on the brain. Since it was first marketed in 1998, there have been more than 13.5 million patient treatments with Xenical world-wide. Xenical is licensed for weight management in 149 countries around the world.

For further information please go to: www.managingyourweight.com or www.xenical.co.nz

About Xenical Weight Management Programmes

Roche has developed Xenical weight management programmes (WMPs) for healthcare professionals to use with their patients. The programme aims to help patients set and reach realistic weight goals while modifying their dietary intake and behaviour in the long-term. The programmes are individually tailored to help people achieve their weight loss goals, and maintain weight loss, through healthy eating, physical activity, behaviour modification and pharmacotherapy.

Roche provides free patient support programmes in around 50 countries worldwide to help people taking Xenical. Recent data demonstrated that patients enrolled in Xenical WMPs can significantly improve the levels of weight loss achieved and can increase their overall satisfaction and compliance with treatment.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-orientated healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and vitamins. Roche's innovative products and services address prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, thus enhancing people's well-being and quality of life.

Roche International Award for Obesity Journalism

The Roche International Award for Obesity Journalism is a new initiative to recognise excellence in overweight and obesity reporting. For more information and submission details, please visit www.managingyourweight.com/formedia/formedia_ja.cfm or contact obesityjournalism@shirehealthinternational.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are legally protected.

For further information on Xendos and media backgrounders visit www.managingyourweight.com http://www.managingyourweight.com/. For further information on Xenical visit www.xenical.co.nz

To arrange interviews or for further information please contact Sarah Williams or Joanna Clarke 09 915 4530 or 021 928 125, 021 637 695.

References:

1. Sjostrom L. et al "XENDOS (XENical in the prevention of Diabetes in Obese Subjects): A Landmark Study". Poster presented at ICO, Sao Paulo, 2002.

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