Judge Strikes Down Limits on Large Sugary Drinks in New York City

Manchester, NH-based Boston Therapeutics developing a chewable pill designed to be taken before meals to lower the elevation of blood glucose after the meal.

WASHINGTON, CT and NEW YORK, NY (I-Newswire) March 14, 2013 - Recently, Justice Milton Tingling of New York’s State Supreme Court struck down the limits on large sugary drinks urged by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg that were slated to take effect. The judge called the limits “arbitrary and capricious,” echoing the concerns of city business owners and consumers who had deemed the rules unenforceable. The mayor said he would immediately appeal the ruling, which would have limited the size of sugary drinks to 16 ounces at restaurants, theaters and food carts.

Regular consumption of sugary drinks is known to substantially elevate the level of glucose in the bloodstream, which can eventually raise the risk of diabetes. With the popularity of such drinks unlikely to wane—with or without Bloomberg’s limits in place—new pharmaceutical options are needed to counter the diabetes risk.

Manchester, NH-based Boston Therapeutics is doing something about it. The company is developing a chewable pill, designed to be taken before meals, called PAZ320. This drug is designed to lower the elevation of blood glucose after the meal, and is the only such drug currently under development. If further research confirms its effectiveness, it might become a viable treatment to delay or prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes as well as the most common complications linked to that condition—such as heart disease, stroke, kidney damage, retinopathy and diabetic foot.

PAZ320 works in the gastrointestinal tract to block the action of enzymes that break down carbs in foods during digestion, reducing the amount of blood sugar absorbed through the intestine. The compound was studied in a clinical trial at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Based on that trial, researchers have written a paper, slated to be published in the scholarly journal Endocrine Practice, reporting positive results of PAZ320 in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Additionally, results from the trial showed that PAZ320 can be effective in lowering post-meal blood glucose levels even if those who take it are on other diabetes medications at the same time.

The best defense against diabetes will always be a diet low in sugar, but given the reality of American diets, pharmaceutical options such as PAZ320 might serve as a much-needed, effective weapon in the battle for better health.

For more information about PAZ320, please visit www.bostonti.com.