Lexicon diabetes drug meets clinical efficacy target

Lexicon Pharmaceutical, the Texas-based biopharmaceutical company, recently announced encouraging results from a clinical study of its experimental diabetes drug LX4211.
LX4211, a first-in-class dual inhibitor of sodium glucose transporters 1 and 2 (SGLT1 and 2), achieved the primary goal of the clinical trial in reducing blood sugar levels after meals in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy).
In the study, 30 type 2 diabetes sufferers with severe renal impairment (stage 3 and 4 kidney disease) were randomly assigned to either a once-daily 400mg dose of LX4211 before breakfast or placebo.
After comparing patients’ post-breakfast glucose levels before and one week after treatment, the researchers found that the oral medication met the primary efficacy target to reduce post-meal blood sugar.
LX4211 also produced significant increases in the hormone GLP-1, which is involved in control of glucose and appetite, while no serious adverse events were observed.
According to Lexico, the drug works by inhibiting SGLT1 in the gastrointestinal tract and cutting glucose absorptio, offering a new potential treatment for diabetic patients with moderately/severely reduced kidney function.
Pablo Lapuerta, Lexicon’s chief medical officer, explained: “Our hypothesis was that LX4211 would improve glycemic control even in patients with the greatest degree of renal impairment due to its inhibition of SGLT1 in the gastrointestinal tract.
“The post-prandial glucose reductions and GLP-1 elevations observed in this study population support the rationale for demonstrating effective HbA1c reduction in a larger, longer-term Phase 3 trial, and provide further support for the clinical differentiation of LX4211 as a first-in-class dual SGLT1 and SGLT2 inhibitor.”