Drug Company That Sells Januvia Acquires SmartCells

Whitehouse Station, NJThe Seattle Times reports that drug company Merck, which sells the diabetes drug Januvia, recently acquired the privately held SmartCells.

The main draw of SmartCells is its SmartInsulin, which is currently in preclinical development and may not be on the market for a while, the news provider said.

The news source adds that SmartInsulin is an unproven technology that could prove to be a big hit if successful. The drug reportedly senses glucose concentration and releases insulin when blood sugar levels decrease.

Rather than constantly measuring their glucose levels, diabetics using the drug can just inject it once a day and allow SmartInsulin to release it when it becomes necessary, the news source said.

The Smart technology could reportedly also extend further than insulin and may potentially be used to sense any molecule before releasing the necessary drug.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, Merck's current diabetes drug, Januvia, can cause a range of side effects including sore throat, headache, loss of appetite, and nausea and vomiting.