Researchers are studying two novel diabetes treatments

Two new diabetes treatments could be on the way after initial research shows effectiveness.

A research team from Helmholtz Munich, the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) and Novo Nordisk has developed a new hormone combination for the future treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

According to a DZD press release, they combined the blood sugar-lowering effect of the active ingredients tesaglitazar and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) in a “new and highly effective drug” that has been successfully tested in animal experiments.¹ The study on the drug candidate was published in natural metabolism.²

By combining tesaglitazar with GLP-1, the tesaglitazar penetrates only tissue that contains GLP-1 receptors, the DZD said. “This reduces the side effects of tesaglitazar while increasing the effects on sugar metabolism.”

“The glucose metabolism of obese and diabetic male mice has improved significantly compared to treatment with the GLP-1 hormone or tesaglitazar alone – and without harmful side effects for the liver or kidneys,” says Kerstin Stemmer, one of the scientists and first authors of the study Professor and group leader at the Helmholtz Institute for Diabetes and Obesity in Munich.

“This drug has great potential for the acute treatment of elevated blood sugar levels associated with type 2 diabetes,” adds Dr. Aaron Novikoff, another first author of the study and PhD student at Helmholz Munich.

Next, the researchers want to investigate whether the drug candidate has the potential to also treat people with T2D and whether the effectiveness of the new combination therapy can be further optimized through biochemical modifications.

Separately, a team of researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) working to develop oral insulin tablets to replace daily insulin injections discovered that insulin from the latest version of their oral tablets is absorbed by rats in the same way as injected insulin.

“These exciting results show that we are on track to develop an insulin formulation that eliminates the need for pre-meal shots and is improving the quality of life and mental health of more than 9 million type 1 diabetics around the world,” said professor dr. Anubhav Pratap-Singh, the senior researcher at UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems, in a press release.³

according to dr Alberto Baldelli, Senior Fellow in Dr. In Pratap-Singh’s lab, the UBC researchers see that almost 100% of the insulin from the pills goes directly to the liver. In previous attempts to develop drinkable insulin, most of the insulin accumulated in the stomach.

Pratap-Singh’s team has developed a tablet that is not intended to be swallowed but will dissolve when placed between the gum and cheek. According to UBC, this method uses the thin membrane found in the lining of the inner cheek and back of the lip.

references

1. New drug candidate developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. press release. German Center for Diabetes Research. August 26, 2022. Accessed September 8, 2022. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/963030.
2. Quarta C, Stemmer K, Novikoff A, et al. GLP-1-mediated delivery of tesaglitazar improves obesity and glucose metabolism in male mice. Nat Metab. 2022 Aug;4(8):1071-1083. doi: 10.1038/s42255-022-00617-6.
3. The UBC team developing oral insulin tablets sees breakthrough results. New version. University of British Columbia. August 30, 2022. Accessed September 8, 2022. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/963235.
4. Guo Y, Baldelli A, Singh A, Fathordoobady F, Kitts D, Pratap-Singh A. Preparation of high-loading insulin nanoparticles suitable for oral administration by spray-drying and freeze-drying techniques. Scientific Rep. Jun 15, 2022;12(1):9949. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-13092-6.