Recent research shows that baricitinib, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, can effectively slow the progression of type 1 diabetes and reduce the need for insulin therapy, potentially revolutionizing diabetes treatment. Researchers at Melbourne's St Vincent's Medical Research Institute (SVI) have found that a drug commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis can also slow the development of type 1 diabetes.
The world's first human trial was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine and was led by Professor Thomas Kay from SVI. Trial results show that a drug called baricitinib can safely and effectively protect the body's own insulin secretion and inhibit the progression of type 1 diabetes in people who start treatment within 100 days of diagnosis.
"When type 1 diabetes is first diagnosed, there are still large numbers of insulin-producing cells present. We wanted to know if we could prevent the immune system from further destroying these cells," Kay said. "Our study shows that baricitinib is safe and effective in slowing the progression of the disease in patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes."
This groundbreaking study shows it has the potential to be the first disease-modifying therapy for type 1 diabetes delivered in tablet form.
"We are very excited to be the first group in the world to test the efficacy of baricitinib as a potential treatment for type 1 diabetes," said Kay. "Until now, patients with type 1 diabetes have relied on insulin delivered by injection or infusion pump. Our trial shows that if the drug is started early after diagnosis and the duration of treatment, insulin secretion can be maintained in participants. Type 1 diabetes patients in the trial required significantly less insulin therapy."
The treatment of this lifelong autoimmune disease places a huge burden on those diagnosed and their families, who require meticulous blood sugar monitoring and insulin injections around the clock to stay alive.
Before insulin was discovered more than 100 years ago, type 1 diabetes was a fatal disease. Despite insulin's life-saving effects, the treatment itself is potentially dangerous if too much or too little is taken, and the disease can still bring long-term complications, including heart attacks and strokes, vision impairment, kidney disease and nerve damage.
"We are very optimistic about the clinical application of this treatment." Professor Helen Thomas, head of the preclinical trial, said: "This will greatly change the treatment of type 1 diabetes, and we believe it has the potential to fundamentally improve the ability to control type 1 diabetes."
Compiled source: ScitechDaily