A local doctor has delivered a different diagnosis about a new drug used to combat the potential killer diabetes.

Dr. Wilbert Warner yesterday told The Royal Gazette that the "wonder drug'' Rezulin will not revolutionise diabetes treatment.

"It isn't a wonder drug,'' Dr. Warner said. "It's just one of many drugs being developed.'' Last week visiting medical school professor Dr. John Shigo said the drug Rezulin could be the greatest diabetic development since the discovery of insulin nearly 80 years ago.

"It is a revolution in diabetes,'' Dr. Shigo claimed. "It's something like the insulin discovery. The response to it in the US has been very good.'' Dr. Warner said Rezulin could be useful for some suffers of diabetes, but maintained it was not in the category of a wonder drug.

"It was licensed by the FDA to be used in certain instances,'' Dr. Warner explained. "And it was only licensed to be used with insulin users who suffer from diabetes mellitus (Type II diabetes).'' Diabetes -- a major problem on the Island -- occurs when the body cannot properly convert sugar and starch. It is due to a deficiency in the production or effectiveness of the hormone insulin. It can lead to severe health problems.

Type II diabetics are able to handle the disease via diet, medication, and insulin in some cases.

Those who have Type I diabetes require insulin to control the disease. It results from antibodies which strike insulin cells in the pancreas, leading to decreased insulin production.

And Dr. Warner revealed that independent tests had revealed that Rezulin was less effective than some of the drugs already available to diabetics.

"Independent evaluation has shown that it is less effective than drugs already on the market,'' he said. "And it's only been licensed for six months. It is a new drug and has not been proven over the long haul.

"With new therapies, there is always a chance of not knowing what will happen. We don't know the long term safety profile.'' And the bulletin "The Medical Letter'' echoed Dr. Warner's claims. A recent edition said: "The safety and effectiveness of long-term use of troglitazone (Rezulin) remain to be established''.

Dr. Shigo said Rezulin worked by sensitising the body's cells to sugar.

And he said it helped prevent the premature onset of the most common form of the disease, Type II diabetes.

Doctor puts damper on drug Dr. Warner said the visiting doctor should not have raised local diabetics' expectations to unrealistic heights.

"He shouldn't offer patients pie in the sky,'' he said. "It only creates anxiety, false expectations and creates an atmosphere where patients think doctors are not offering the best care.'' Dr. Warner said local doctors have known for some time about the drug, which received US federal government approval in January.

"It's not something the Health Department, the hospital and doctors are keeping away from patients,'' he said.

And Dr. Warner revealed that one area where Rezulin exceeded the old drugs was in the price.

"The Medical Letter'' recently listed the cost of several oral drugs for the most common form of diabetes, and Rezulin was the most expensive.

The most common of the recent diabetic drugs -- most often consumed by locals -- cost between $3.49 to $20.81 US wholesale for a month's supply.

Rezulin, distributed by Parke-Davis, costs $160.20 for a month's supply.

"Why go with it when there are cheaper, tried and proven drugs already on the market,'' Dr. Warner asked. "And you already know the long term side effects (which are not known for Rezulin).'' Dr. Warner said the key to combating diabetes was exercise and maintaining an ideal weight.

DRUG WARNING -- Dr. Wilbert Warner