First Diamyd type 1 diabetes prevention trial started

The first of three prevention trials using Diamyd have now started at the Oslo Diabetes Research Center in Norway.

The study will include 90 high risk patients for type 1 diabetes, and 60 newly diagnosed. The really interesting part of this study will be the tissue samples from the pancreas which according to the press release will provide insight in how Diamyd reduces the destruction of the beta cells.

"This is a major step in diabetes research. We have never previously studied what actually happens to the beta cells during onset of type 1 diabetes," says Professor Knut Dahl-Jørgensen who will lead the study. "In addition to studying how the Diamyd® vaccine affects the insulin producing cells in people at high risk for developing type 1 diabetes, as well as how Diamyd® preserves the insulin producing capacity in recent-onset patients, we will specifically investigate whether type 1 diabetes may be caused by viral infection."

No further information is available on how long the trial will be and when we can have the first data points.

It will be very interesting to see the results from the tissue samples of the pancreas.

As mentioned earlier, I expect two additional prevention trials to be started during this year. One run by NIH / Trialnet and the other by Lund University, Sweden.

More information:
Diamyd press release

Combination trial aimed at regenerating beta cells

I have previously advocated the use of multiple drugs in order to try and cure Type 1 Diabetes. Diamyd which is trying to stop the autoimmune reaction against the insulin producing beta cells could be combined with drugs that stimulate the generation of new beta cells, or with beta cell transplants.

Today we found out that the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) have started, and is recruiting 164 patients in a trial at Bethesda, Maryland (USA). The trial will only treat newly diagnosed (0-4 months from onset), but the results could benefit everyone. If the body still regenerates some beta cells (common idea today within the research community), and you stop the autoimmunity (using GAD65 - Diamyd) as well as increase the regeneration, this could help even already diagnosed Type 1 Diabetics.

This trial is combining GAD65 (Diamyd) which stops or delays the autoimmune reaction towards the beta cells, Sitagliptin a DPP-4 inhibitor used for Type 2 Diabetes and Lansoprazole a proton pump inhibitor.

Both Sitagliptin (Merck, 2006) and Lansoprazole (1995) are approved drugs by the FDA.

Press release from Diamyd
Link to trial information, and here.