Diabetes drug could be as significant as insulin development

A drug has been found to be effective in preserving the cells that produce insulin, within individuals who have recently been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. A Phase II clinical trial has shown Teplizumab to be an effective form of treatment over a two-year period.

Around half of the patients involved in the study showed signs that the further development of type 1 diabetes was hampered, after beginning to take the drug following diagnosis of the disease. Those that appeared to benefit most from Teplizumab only required moderate treatment with insulation before starting the trial.

During the two year study, these patients were able to continue producing insulin for the entire period. This represents a vast improvement when compared to other experimental drugs being developed for the disease.

A previous study of Teplizumab showed that one course of treatment, administered shortly after diagnosis, helped the pancreatic beta cells to continue to produce insulin for a period of around 12 months. However, the response from the cells began to diminish after the time frame.

Professor of immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine, Kevan Herold, furthered this research by treating 52 newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes sufferers with Teplizumab, and then providing another course of treatment 12 months later.

Professor Herold said: "There's a sub-group of people, 45 per cent, that had a terrific response to the drug. In these patients, there was a three-fold improvement in their insulin responses compared to untreated participants. After two years, they'd lost less than ten per cent of their beta cells responses."

While the drug did not successfully treat all patients in the same way - some lost half or more of their insulin producing abilities, which is similar to those that were not treated with the drug - it still represents a major find. The trial was conducted for a much longer period of time than the majority of experimental type 1 diabetes drugs are tested.

The fact that the drug was most successful in treating those that still had a relatively strong production of insulin ongoing, suggests that the earlier the disease can be diagnosed and treated, the better a patient's chances of maintaining insulin production.

According to Professor Herold, the approval of this drug could mean that it would be the first treatment that could change the way in which type 1 diabetes progresses since insulin.