Jennifer Mathews: Having Type 2 diabetes is no walk in the park for John Sullivan.
John Sullivan: It's my health. I want to live. It can be a death sentence without discipline.
Jennifer Mathews: To stay one step ahead of his disease, John enrolled in a clinical trial.
John Sullivan: I hopes that the drug brings - helps me maintain a low blood sugar.
Jennifer Mathews: The medication John is receiving belongs to a new class of drugs called DPP4 inhibitors.
Dr. Richard Pratley says, they stop the breakdown of the hormone GLP-1.
Dr. Richard Pratley: By inhibiting the breakdown of GLP-1, we actually have more of the active hormone around, and this helps to control blood glucose levels.
Jennifer Mathews: A study on one of the drugs showed hemoglobin A1c levels dropped more than 1%. A1c levels are a measure of blood sugar control, and research shows every 1% drop means a 35% lower risk of diabetes related complications.
Dr. Richard Pratley: It's a very significant improvement in glucose.
Jennifer Mathews: Dr. Pratley says, "What's exciting about these new drugs is that they may actually change the course of the disease by making insulin-producing cells healthier."
John's daughter Mariah helps him stay focused on his health. The new drug also helps.
John Sullivan: I want to remain healthy. I'm 52-years-old, and I have - our youngest is five-and-a-half years old.
Jennifer Mathews: And that's enough motivation to keep his blood sugar in check, even if he does have to pay his health by the mouthful.
This is Jennifer Mathews reporting.
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