Antibody Therapy Helps New-Onset Diabetes Patients
Reported June 23, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A new type of therapy might help patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
Type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs when the pancreas fails to make enough insulin. It usually occurs in childhood or adolescence, but it can develop at any age. People with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin every day.
A recent multi-center trial looked at whether a new type of therapy could prevent the decrease in insulin-secreting cells when signs of the disease first appear. A loss of insulin-secreting cells occurs in patients with type 1 diabetes.
In the study, 80 patients with new-onset type 1 diabetes were randomly assigned to receive a placebo or a humanized antibody (ChAglyCD3). Patients were followed for 18 months, and their daily insulin needs and insulin-secreting cells were monitored.
Much better results were seen in the group receiving the antibody treatment. At the end of the study, the researchers concluded short-term treatment with the antibody preserves cell function for at least 18 months in patients who have recently developed type 1 diabetes.
SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine; 2005;352:2598-2608