Kausik Ray, MD: Treating Diabetes During COVID-19

While there are many options available to treat type 2 diabetes, there is some concern over patient adherence during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

With treatment adherence so important for diabetic patients, many doctors are concerned this patient population has not regularly taken or filled their prescriptions.

However, there are new treatments being explored that could really help these patients should they adhere to the prescribed doses.

During the 18th World Congress of Insulin Resistance Diabetes & Cardiovascular (WCIRDC) Online CME Conference presented by the Metabolic Institute of America (TMIOA), Kausik Ray, MD, a professor of Public Health at the School of Public Health of Imperial College London presented new data showing the benefits of bempedoic acid and PCSK9 siRNA (inclisiran).

Currently, bempedoic acid is currently approved in Europe and the US, making it the first cholesterol lowering oral agent approved in approximately 10 years.

However, inclisiran represents an entirely new class of drugs that targets a process called gene silencing. Ray expects this treatment to be available in both North America and Europe in 2021.

Ray explained in an interview with HCPLive®, how concerning the pandemic has been for diabetic patients and why the newer effective treatments could have a major impact on prescription patterns.