A new study shows that duodenal mucosal resurfacing (DMR) can lead to short-term improvements in hyperglycemia among people with type 2 diabetes.
Revita is a minimally invasive DMR treatment technique developed by US company Fractyl Laboratories. It involves a thin tube being inserted down a patient’s throat – this tube is connected to a deflated silicone balloon.
Once the balloon reaches the first section of the small intestine, called the duodenum, it inflates and pumps hot water through the surrounding tissue. Through burning away some the intestine lining, patients are more able to absorb and process sugar.
These findings, published in Diabetes Care, involved type 2 diabetes patients being treated with single-procedure DMR. Every patient had clinically significant improvements in hyperglycemia in the short-term, with acceptable safety and tolerability.
A total of 39 patients were recruited for the trial, all of whom had HbA1c levels greater than 7.5% (58 mmol/mol) and took one or more antidiabetic medication. The patients received DMR of varying lengths of duodenum.
At six months, the average reduction in HbA1c levels of all participants was 1.2%. The researchers also observed that patients who received a longer segment of the duodenum had a 1.4% reduction in blood sugar levels, compared with a 0.7% reduction among those who had a short segment.
The researchers believe these findings could have great implications for people with type 2 diabetes. The Revita procedure takes 60 minutes to perform, and patients can be sent home on the same day.
In addition to the short recovery period, Fractyl claims that it is a cost and time-effective alternative to bariatric surgery, which has been shown to yield great success in treating type 2 diabetes.
This cohort is still being examined, and 12-month data is expected later this year which will show how effective Revita is in the long-term.
Researchers are currently preparing to conduct a new randomised control trial at University College London and King’s College London in the autumn.

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