Diachrome®
Supplementation Associated with Potential Cost Savings of $52.9
Billion for People with Diabetes
Released on
= September 15, 2005, 2:43 am
Press Release
Author = Nutrition 21
Industry = Healthcare
Press Release
Summary = Nutrition 21 is a leading developer of nutritional products
for cardiovascular health and diabetes;The market leader in nutritional
chromium, Nutrition 21 currently holds 35 patents for nutrition
products, 22 for chromium compounds and their uses. (Nutrition 21,
Nutrition twenty-one, nutritional products, nutrition supplements,
chromium picolinate, chromium, dietary supplement, weight management,
cardiovascular health, diabetes, developer, manufacturer, research)
Press Release
Body = PURCHASE, NY, August 31, 2005 — Nutrition 21, Inc.
(Nasdaq: NXXI) reported that an economic analysis conducted by researchers
in the Department of Health Policy at Thomas Jefferson University
in Philadelphia shows that use of Diachrome, as a daily
nutritional adjunct to traditional
anti-diabetic medications, could deliver billions of dollars in
healthcare cost savings. The analysis was published in the August
2005 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Disease Management and supported
by a research grant from Nutrition 21. The analysis estimates the
potential cost savings that result from the decrease in HbA1C levels
through the use of Diachrome, a patented formulation of chromium
picolinate and biotin. Use of Diachrome showed a potential average
three-year cost savings of up to $52.9 billion for patients already
diagnosed with diabetes plus a lifetime cost savings at $42 billion
for newly diagnosed patients each year. “Controlling diabetes
is important given the health and economic implications associated
with the disease,” said David B. Nash, MD, MBA, professor
and
chairman, Department of Health Policy at Thomas Jefferson University,
who conducted the economic analysis. “Affordable complementary
therapies, such as Diachrome, could make a substantial contribution
to lessening the economic burden of
diabetes for patients and payers.” Nutrition 21 expects
to build on these findings initially through a strategic partnership
with XL Health, a nationally recognized disease management firm
managing
chronically ill patients for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) and private Medicare Advantage markets.
“This
analysis and the recent FDA confirmation of chromium picolinate’s
safety are important cornerstones of our Diachrome marketing strategy,
which is designed to demonstrate that cost savings and quality of
care improvements can result with widespread adoption of Diachrome
as an adjunct to traditinal diabetes
care,” stated Gail Montgomery, president and CEO of Nutrition
21, Inc. The first phase of the company’s market rollout
to select physicians and patients in Texas and Tennessee is planned
for early 2006. The company is also planning to convene an expert
panel in September to guide our expansion into other disease management
companies. According to the American Diabetes Association, there
are 18.2 million people in the United States, or 6.3% of the population,
who have diabetes. The economic impact of diabetes was estimated
at $132 billion in 2002, including direct medical expenditures and
the costs of lost productivity. From 1997 to 2002, the per capita
annual cost of diabetes rose 30 percent.
Controlling
HbA1C
Findings from the Diabetes Control and Complications trial, a ten
year clinical trial conducted by the National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), indicate that a low cost
intervention that decreases HbA1c could be beneficial to patients,
third party payers and society as a whole. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)
is a marker of glycemic (blood sugar) control. The higher the HbA1C
value, the higher the risk that a patient will develop complications
from diabetes. Reducing or keeping HbA1C levels in normal range
(below 7%) is a key goal in diabetes managment. Furthermore, improvement
in glycemic control has been shown to be cost-effective in delaying
the onset and progression of T2DM, including risk of serious complications
such as heart disease, amputation and kidney failure. Experts estimate
that for every percentage point decrease in HbA1C there is a 25%
reduction in diabetes-related deaths.
Clinical studies
using Diachrome have shown the greatest improvement in glycemic
control in poorly controlled T2DM patients (HbA1C ≥10%)
as compared to their better controlled counterparts (HbA1C <10%)
even when patients were already taking
oral anti-diabetic agents.
About Diachrome
Diachrome, a nutritional supplement formulated for people with diabetes,
contains 600 mcg of chromium as Chromax® chromium picolinate
and 2 mg of biotin, a B-vitamin. Diachrome can be obtained through
diabetes educators nationwide, or may be purchased directly at www.diachrome.com
or 1-866-DIACHROME.
About Nutrition
21
Nutrition 21 is a nutritional bioscience company and the maker of
chromium-based supplements with health benefits substantiated by
clinical research. The company markets Chromax® chromium picolinate,
which is the most-studied form of the essential mineral chromium.
Nutrition 21 holds 36 patents for nutrition products
and uses, 27 of which are for chromium compounds and their uses.
More information is available at www.nutrition21.com.
# # #
Web Site = http://www.nutrition21.com
Contact Details
= Nutrition 21
4 Manhattanville Road
Purchase , New York 10577
contactn21@nutrition21.com
Main 914-701-4500
IR 914-701-4545
Fax 914-696-0860
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