Adelaide human trials of a pill to mimic gastric bypass for diabetics
A revolutionary pill that mimics the effect of gastric bypass surgery will be developed and trialled in Adelaide in the hope it will effectively “cure” some type 2 diabetics.
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Human trials of a pill that mimics gastric bypass surgery to “cure” people of type 2 diabetes are set to begin in Adelaide next year thanks to a $29 million investment to pursue the breakthrough technology.
Researchers at the University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital will help develop and trial the pill which follows the discovery that gastric bypass surgery effectively cures some people of type 2 diabetes by diverting food from the upper gastrointestinal tract.
The planned pill, due for human clinical trials here next year, would produce the same effect, offering a new treatment for a disease that affects around one million Australians and 500 million people globally.
The therapy being developed by US-based biopharmaceutical company, Glyscend Therapeutics, delivers the impact of gastric bypass surgery in improving sugar control in patients but without the risk of the invasive surgery.
Developing Glyscend’s technology has been a collaboration between researchers from The Johns Hopkins University Hospital in the US and Adelaide-based diabetes and metabolic experts Professor Michael Horowitz and Professor Chris Rayner from the Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health.
Professor Horowitz is delighted to be part of a global team tacking a significant health issue in such a novel way.
“In the case of gastric bypass surgery, some type 2 diabetes patients are essentially ‘cured’ due to the diversion of intestinal contents away from the upper gastrointestinal tract,” he said.
“With Glyscend’s non-absorbable pill we aim to recreate the same profound effect, in a way that is safe and easy to administer. Initial results are extremely promising.”
Professor Rayner said the pill has the potential to revolutionise treatment.
“By having intestinal contents bypass the upper gut, we can induce a dramatic change in hormonal signalling resulting in improved blood glucose control,” he said.
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The $29 million investment for Glyscend Therapeutics came through Brandon Capital’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund and US healthcare investor Santé Ventures with support from Breakout Labs, a fund in the Thiel Foundation owned by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.
Director at Glyscend and investment manager at Brandon Capital Partners Dr Bob Soh said type 2 diabetes causes four million deaths a year and current therapies often fail to maintain target glucose levels.
“This is yet another great example of our world-class Australian researchers contributing their expertise to global health research and development,” Dr Soh said.
“Professors Horowitz and Rayner were sought out to participate in the early development of Glyscend’s program, and I am pleased that they will be leading the first-in-human clinical trials next year in Adelaide.”
Glyscend chief executive Dr Ashish Nimgaonkar said: “The world class expertise and facilities, coupled with an attractive research and development ecosystem are why we intend to conduct our first-in-human trials in Adelaide.
“I am delighted with the research collaboration to date and am looking forward to initiating our clinical trials next year.”