New report shows record 235 number of diabetes drugs currently in development in USA

A record 235 new medicines to treat diabetes, one of the fastest-growing diseases in America, are being developed by the USA's pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, according to a national report unveiled this week in Charleston, West Virginia, which has the highest rate of diabetes in the country.

In West Virginia, 11.4% of the adult population suffers from diabetes - a rate that has more than doubled since 1994, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of data from 2006-2008.

The alarming rates of diabetes are being seen throughout the nation, said Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) on announcing the report, and saying: "Perhaps the most shocking and disturbing trend is the rise of diabetes among children, which the American Diabetes Association calls 'a new epidemic.'"