Study investigates how drug that inhibits glucagon affects type 2 diabetes patients

The results of two new trials show that LGD-6792, a glucagon receptor antagonist, could have benefits for people with type 2 diabetes.
LGD-6792 is developed by Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, and the biopharmaceutical company hopes the drug could be used to lower glucagon levels among type 2 diabetes patients and subsequently reduce blood glucose levels.
In previous studies, LDG-6972 has been shown to lower blood glucose levels in mouse models of type 1 diabetes. and type 2 diabetes.
In this new research, 48 healthy subjects and eight patients with type 2 diabetes were treated with LGD-6792.
The two trials investigated how single (Phase Ia) and multiple doses (Phase IIb) of LGD-6972 affected participants. Both trials lasted 14 days.
Both groups had lower blood glucose levels following treatment, and the drug demonstrated favourable safety and tolerability among participants.
The researchers also discovered that treatment with LGD-6792 increased the amount of insulin patients produced and decreased glucagon in response to an oral glucose load.
“These clinical results are encouraging as they demonstrate a favourable safety profile for LGD-6972 and show a robust glycemic response in both healthy subjects and subjects with diabetes,” said John Higgins, CEO of Ligand.
Researchers from the trials believe that LGD-6972 could be used as an adjunct to diet and exercise for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but acknowledge that long-term data is required to back this up.
This is why Ligand is initiating a phase II trial, which will be conducted later this month. In this new trial, type 2 diabetes patients will be treated with the LGD-6972 drug for 12 consecutive weeks.
This research appears online in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.