Medical professionals welcomed Sanofi-Aventis SA’s plan to investigate the safety standards of insulin and suggested that a possible relation between diabetic medicines and cancer had not yet been proved.

A detailed examination of clinical data available was needed to establish a link between insulin glargine and cancer, said doctors at a European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting held in Vienna.

Ulf Smith, president of EASD said, "No-one has ever suggested that glargine, or any other form of insulin, causes cancer. That is out of the question".

The studies released earlier this year revealed a relation between Lantus and cancer but the regulators from U. S. and Europe have unanimously backed the product and prescription data showed demand for the long-acting insulin was holding up.

This month Sanofi launched a research plan to generate more information on whether there is any relation between cancer and insulin and it has pleased experts. It also proposes to assess if there is any difference between insulin glargine and other insulins.

"Analysis of extensive clinical trials data indicated that the risk of all cancers and breast cancers were not increased compared with comparators," said Dr Jay Skyler of the University of Miami.

He also added that glargine does not cause cancer.