Kashmir’s go to diabetes drug gets global spotlight again

Srinagar, Mar 29: A major study has reinforced the value of one of the world’s oldest and cheapest diabetes medicines, Metformin.

Researchers have discovered that this first-line drug prescribed to millions across globe and J&K works “directly” on the brain, not just liver and gut, to regulate blood sugar.

In Kashmir, where diabetes affects a large section of the population, the drug is and has been used extensively in diabetes and continues to be used for many other metabolic conditions too.

Experts here hail the finding as a “wonder drug” validation.

Prof Shariq Masoodi, noted endocrinologist and former head of Endocrinology at SKIMS, Srinagar, said Metformin remains the most widely prescribed and affordable drug in India.

“In a country where Metformin is affordable, accessible, and already first-line therapy for millions, this discovery adds another layer of scientific validation,” he told Greater Kashmir.

Prof Masoodi said that the discovery strengthens the case for not abandoning this molecule in the rush toward newer, costlier drugs.

Dr Zubair Saleem, physician and founder of Moul Mouj Foundation, said Metformin was nothing less than a “wonder drug”.

“Besides the liver, it is now considered to work on the brain also, which helps regulate blood sugar and aids in weight loss,” he said.

The latest findings published in the prestigious journal Science Advances by Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, comes as a fresh insight into the success of Metformin and its undisputed use in diabetes.

For over 60 years, Metformin was believed to act mainly on the liver and gut, the fresh study now adding another layer of understanding of how the drug functions.

The new research reveals it also targets the ventromedial hypothalamus, the small but powerful region of the brain that scientist refer to as the “metabolic thermostat”.

Ventromedial region controls hunger, energy use and glucose balance in body.

According to the study, Metformin switches off a protein called Rap1 and activates the nerve cells that help lower blood sugar.

“Even tiny amounts of the drug were found to be effective through this brain pathway,” the study notes.

Dr Makoto Fukuda, the lead researcher of the study, said that when the pathway was blocked in experiments, Metformin stopped working. However, other drugs like insulin continued to function normally.

The brain action of Metformin is especially significant for J&K patients, many of whom struggle with obesity-related type 2 diabetes.

With limited access to expensive newer medicines, and less proven safety profile in comparison to Metformin, doctors here have long relied on Metformin.