Spherix Inc.'s (SPEX) lead drug candidate showed a statistically significant reduction in the occurrence of indicators of diabetes in a Phase III trial of relatively healthy people who had the disease. D-Tagalose is a naturally occurring simple sugar the company is developing as an oral treatment for Type II, or adult onset, diabetes. The substance, originally developed as a reduced-calorie sugar substitute, has been generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration for use in food and beverages since 2001, according to the company's website.