Diabetes drug DiaPrevent progresses in tests

Thu, 18 Nov 2010
The diabetes drug of DiaPrevent is to progress to a phase III human trial, it has emerged. Its manufacturer, Diamyd, are to put the drug through further clinical tests into its effects for slowing or preventing the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas of people with type 1 diabetes .

The company have finished the screening of diabetes patients for the US trial, having administered the first injection of either the drug or a placebo to most of the 320 people involved in the trial. People who have type 1 diabetes cannot control their levels of blood sugar as their immune system mistakenly targets the beta cells, which the hormone insulin, and destroys them.

All patients suffer from type 1 diabetes and are aged from 10 to 20 years old. The therapy was successful in phase II studies, where it was proven to slow the loss of beta cell function compared to a placebo.

The initial findings from the European phase III study are expected in the spring of next year, and the research is going well so far, says Diamyd. All the patients have received their four injections of the drug or a placebo, while over 70 per cent have finished their 15-month stay. When all the patients have completed their 15-month stay, the data will be processed and examined to see of the treatment is effective.

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