Prof. Itamar Raz, Director of the Diabetes Unit at the Hadassah Medical Center, has been chosen to co-chair a large international research trial to assess the potential of a new medication (Onglyza™) to decrease the risk of cardiovascular events and related mortality in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Prof. Raz will co-chair the study, entitled SAVOR (“Saxagliptin in Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus”) in collaboration with Dr. Eugene Braunwald, Chairman of the TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) Study Group of Boston,  USA, a world leader in conducting clinical trials that assess the care of patients with coronary artery diseases.

SAVOR will be conducted over five years in multiple countries worldwide–including Israel. Targeted enrollment is 12,000 patients with Type 2 diabetes. Onglyza™ is currently approved in 40 countries, including the United States and the European Union, and was recently submitted for registration in Israel.

Two principal investigators–an endocrinologist and a cardiologist–were selected to lead the project in each participating country. In addition to co-chairing the international effort, Prof. Raz was asked to lead the Israeli research team in conjunction with Prof. Basil Lewis of the Carmel Medical Center in Haifa.

An international scientific committee will supervise the project’s execution. Once every few months, the committee will convene to analyze the data and provide recommendations as to the direction for further research. Prof. Raz and Prof. Eran Leitersdorf, Dean of the Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Medicine, are members of this committee.