Diogenx SAS raised €27.5 million (US$30.4 million) in a series A round to move a novel therapy for type 1 diabetes into clinical development. The Marseille, France-based company is building on the research of co-founder Patrick Collombat, an expert in beta-cell regeneration, who is based at the Insitute of Biology Valrose and the University Côte d’Azur, in Nice. Its lead drug candidate comprises a recombinant R-spondin protein, which acts on the Wnt/beta-catenin signal pathway to boost replication of endogenous functioning beta-cells.
Dexcom Inc. posted a 19% increase in first quarter revenues compared to 2022 boosted by a stunning 27% organic growth in sales outside the U.S. With clearance of the G7 device in hand, another record set in new patient starts and coverage of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems by CMS effective this month, the year is shaping up to be quite rosy for the diabetes device company.
Positive phase III results from Surmount-2 of Eli Lilly and Co.’s Mounjaro (tirzepatide) showed overweight and obese type 2 diabetes patients receiving the highest dose lost up to 34.4 pounds, with the majority achieving at least a 5% decrease in overall body weight. The results will help the Indianapolis-based company complete its rolling supplemental NDA with the U.S. FDA targeting an approval for obese and overweight adults with weight-related co-morbidities.
Nearly everyone with diabetes for >20 years will develop diabetic retinopathy or uveitis, which are collectively among the most common causes of premature blindness. Melanocortin is a short peptide that not only controls pigmentation, but that is most importantly expressed constitutively in the intraocular space where it serves essential functions suppressing inflammation in the retina, ultimately preventing blindness.
Following up on a bipartisan effort to keep down the costs of insulin, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) reintroduced a bill on April 20 to ensure patients with diabetes can access the life-saving medicine without the excess costs associated with drug rebates and stymied competition.
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is an autoimmune disease in which the person’s immune system destroys its own pancreatic islet cells that leads to complete loss of insulin production. Allogeneic pancreatic islet cell transplantation has been shown to replenish the vanished β-cell population and provide glycemic control, restoration of hypoglycemia awareness, and protection from severe hypoglycemic events. However, with allogeneic transplantation, there is a need for life-long immunosuppression to protect the islet grafts from allo- and autoimmunity.
In collaborating with Novo Nordisk A/S, privately held Aspect Biosystems Ltd. entered its biggest ever deal that could bring in more than $2.6 billion while advancing its 3D, bioprinted tissue therapeutics technology. The two companies will collaborate to develop up to four diabetes and/or obesity products, a Novo specialty, using implantable bioprinted tissues to replace, repair or supplement human biological functions. The initial target will be type 1 diabetes.
Ixlayer Inc. expanded access to diabetes screening by offering its test via retailers, health systems and payers, making it easier for consumers to measure and track their blood glucose levels without requiring a doctor’s visit or prescription. If an individual’s test results indicate that they have or are at risk of developing diabetes, however, the company will offer to connect them with a health care provider available through the reseller’s network to discuss next steps.
A deal worth $745 million for two small-molecule programs, with a lucrative option to expand into other modalities, brings together the diabetes and metabolic disease expertise of Novo Nordisk A/S with an artificial intelligence technology platform from Dewpoint Therapeutics Inc. Boston-based Dewpoint signed on with Bagsvaerd, Denmark-based Novo Nordisk to use the former’s biomolecular condensates discovery engine to find new drugs for diabetic complications. The drugs will target condensates that contribute to the mechanisms of insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance, a key driver of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
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