Diamyd Medical’s intralymphatic diabetes therapy attracts increased interest
Progress in immunotherapy for type 1 diabetes reported during the ADA (American Diabetes Association) meeting in San Francisco last week is positively interpreted for Diamyd Medical as well as for the whole field working to prevent and treat type 1 diabetes.
The research organization TrialNet reported results during the ADA meeting from a prevention trial in individuals at high risk of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes showing that two weeks of immunosuppressive treatment with Anti CD3 antibodies prolonged the time to diagnosis on average by approximately two years compared to placebo. Although the treatment involves hospitalization and is associated with adverse events, the trial supports the notion that autoimmune diabetes can be positively affected by immunotherapy.
“In our discussions with potential partners, it is clear that these positive results further increase the interest in antigen-specific immunotherapy where Diamyd Medical is leading within the field,” says Ulf Hannelius, CEO of Diamyd Medical. “Antigen-specific immunotherapy with Diamyd® is highlighted as a treatment option where the mechanism of action and safety profile may consitute the necessary components needed to reverse the disease progression in type 1 diabetes. Our vaccine is also easy to administer and requires no hospitalization.”
During ADA, the autoimmune form of diabetes in adults (LADA) was also discussed in several presentations. LADA is a very common form of autoimmune diabetes that is characterized by antibodies to the GAD protein but often mistakenly diagnosed and treated as type 2 diabetes. The presentations highlighted the great need for clinical trials evaluating immunotherapies with the ability to affect the autoimmune attack on the insulin-producing cells. The commercial potential was also highlighted where about 10% of all individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes actually have autoimmune diabetes, and in countries like China and India, LADA is the dominant form of autoimmune diabetes.
“We have previously seen an increasing interest from investigators to evaluate intralymphatic Diamyd® in LADA,” comments Ulf Hannelius. “The fact that the area was now clearly discussed during ADA means that also the large pharmaceutical companies see the need of and the value in developing new treatments for this common form of autoimmune diabetes.”
About Diamyd Medical
Diamyd Medical develops the diabetes vaccine Diamyd®, as an antigen-specific immunotherapy for the preservation of endogenous insulin production. Diamyd® has demonstrated good safety in trials encompassing more than 1,000 patients as well as effect in some pre-specified subgroups. Besides the Company’s own European Phase-IIb trial DIAGNODE-2 where the diabetes vaccine is administered directly into a lymph node, three investigator initiated clinical trials are ongoing with Diamyd®. Diamyd Medical also develops the GABA-based investigational drug Remygen® for regeneration of endogenous insulin production. An investigator-initiated Remygen® trial in patients living with type 1 diabetes for more than five years is ongoing at Uppsala University Hospital. An investigator-initiated trial with GABA and Diamyd® in patients recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is also ongoing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. Diamyd Medical is one of the major shareholders in the stem cell company NextCell Pharma AB and has holdings in the medtech company Companion Medical, Inc., San Diego, USA.
Diamyd Medical’s B-share is traded on Nasdaq First North under the ticker DMYD B. FNCA Sweden AB is the Company’s Certified Adviser; phone: +46 8-528 00 399, e-mail: info@fnca.se
For further information, please contact:
Ulf Hannelius, President and CEO
Phone: +46 736 35 42 41
E-mail: ulf.hannelius@diamyd.com
Diamyd Medical AB (publ)
Kungsgatan 29, SE-111 56 Stockholm, Sweden. Phone: +46 8 661 00 26, Fax: +46 8 661 63 68
E-mail: info@diamyd.com Reg. no.: 556242-3797 Website: https://www.diamyd.com
The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 13.20 CET on June 18, 2019.
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