Diamyd® Diabetes Vaccine - Three Blockbuster Indications

Diamyd Medical reports that the Diamyd® vaccine may be effective in preventing type 1 diabetes in individuals that have not yet presented clinical symptoms.

As reported in New England Journal of Medicine (Oct 30, 2008), Diamyd® preserves insulin producing beta cells best in patients recently diagnosed with the disease. Beta cell destruction is a consecutive process, eventually leading to the need for life-long treatment with insulin. Diamyd® given before clinical presentation could hence prevent the onset of the disease.

"This is good news for individuals at risk for type 1 diabetes”, says Elisabeth Lindner, President and CEO of Diamyd Medical. Several large programs are in full operation around the world with the goal to screen thousands of small children for their risk to develop type 1 diabetes. These children could all benefit from vaccination with Diamyd®.

Beyond the vaccine application for type 1 diabetes, Diamyd® has shown effect in preventing insulin treatment in a study including GAD antibody positive patients with type 2 diabetes, representing 10% of all type 2 diabetes patients. The data were recently presented by Professor Carl-David Agardh, Lund University, Sweden.

The three applications; treatment and prevention of type 1 diabetes, as well as prevention of insulin treatment in autoimmune type 2 diabetes, are all believed to have blockbuster potential.