According to a study presented at the American Diabetes Association conference in New Orleans on Sunday, Novo Nordisk A/S's experimental diabetes medicine, liraglutide, scored high over rival products, in terms of bringing about weight loss and controlled blood-sugar levels in diabetics after a two-year treatment period.

The study revealed that not only did the Novo Nordisk drug diminish the chances of Hypoglycemia, or too low blood sugar levels; it also resulted in a weight loss to the tune of nearly 6 pounds. The results were a marked contrast to treatment with key competitor - the generic drug, glimepiride, marketed by Sanofi-Aventis SA - which caused a weight gain of approximately 2 pounds.

Moreover, while nearly 58 percent of diabetics on liraglutide reached the requisite average blood sugar levels, only 37 percent of patients on glimepiride could achieve the appropriate blood-sugar levels' average. The study arrived at its findings after a year-long trial, followed by a one-year extension.

Though liraglutide is yet to receive due approval in either the US or Europe, lead researcher Alan Garber - of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston emphasized the importance of the drug, saying: "The fact that liraglutide continues to effectively lower blood sugar after two years of treatment is consistent with its other long-term clinical benefits such as continued reductions in fasting blood sugar and weight."