Three Months Of New Clinical Trials (end of 2012)

This is a quick summary of all of the new clinical trials into type-1 that started between October 1st, 2012 and January 1st, 2013. These are trials which were entered into the FDA's clinical trial database for the first time during these three months. You can see the database here: www.clinicaltrials.com

Summary table for the last three months in 2012:

48 Total Clinical Trials
-- ----- -------- ------
 9 Artificial Pancreas  Research into systems that automatically dose based on CGM data. 
 5 CGM                  Research into Continuous (ie. Real Time) Glucose Monitoring.
 2 Transplantation      Research in "classic" transplantation (with immune suppression).
 1 Infrastructure       Research that helps or speeds up future research.  
 1 Prevention           Research aimed at lowering the number of type-1 diagnosis.
 2 Complications        Research aimed at preventing or curing type-1 complications.
10 Treatment            Research into improved BG control technology.
    3 New Test Kits
    2 Delivery
    5 New Insulin
16 Improved Control     Research that lessens the need for BG control technology.
    8 drug
    4 behavioral
    2 nutrient
    1 diet
 2 Cure                 Research aimed at curing type-1 diabetes.

So that means that 4% of new clinical trials were targeted at curing type-1 diabetes.
Both clinical trials aimed at curing type-1 were started by LCT, which I've blogged on before:
http://cureresearch4type1diabetes.blogspot.com/search/label/LCT

Below are some of my comments on some of these clinical trials:

Liraglutide (Victoza) is the Biggest Hot Spot
(but as a treatment, not a cure)

Liraglutide is a drug already approved for type-2 diabetes, however recently there has been a lot of interest in it's ability to help type-1 diabetics control their blood glucose levels.  Five of the clinical trials started in the last quarter of 2012 were testing Liraglutide on type-1 diabetics, and this is in addition to at least four trials which had previously started.

You can read more about the drug here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liraglutide

And my previous blogging on it here:
http://cureresearch4type1diabetes.blogspot.com/search/label/Liraglutide

Effects of Chromium Supplementation on Type-1 Diabetes

This study apparently started in 2007, but was first registered in late 2012, and they expect to finish in 2013. It will enroll 150 people. They are recruiting patients in the Shreveport, Louisiana, USA area, and it is open to people aged 8-21.

Clinical Trial Record: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01709123

Exsulin (INGAP) Trial is Officially Suspended

Exsulin corporation has officially suspended their phase-II trial of INGAP (also called Exsulin).  There has not been any new news or scietific papers listed on their web site for 2 years, so I think this potential cure is pretty near to death.

My Previous Blogging: http://cureresearch4type1diabetes.blogspot.com/search/label/INGAP
Clinical Trial Record: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00995540

Pet Fish for Better BG Control

One clinical trial is studying the effects of having a pet fish on blood glucose levels in teenagers. (I'm not making this up, and it's not April 1st!) Half the kids enrolled will get a picture of a fish, the other half will get an actual fish, which they are expected to take care of. A1c levels will be compared.  Here is a quote from the researchers:

There is a lack of studies assessing the impact of pet ownership on the health and well-being of adolescents. The process of caring for, loving and being loved by a companion animal could offer direct and/or indirect benefits to the HRQoL [health related quality of life] in children with T1DM. To the investigators' knowledge, there are no studies examining the impact of pet ownership on glycemic control and HRQoL in youth with T1DM.

They are recruiting in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Clinical Trial Record: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01733524

Joshua Levy
All the views expressed here are those of Joshua Levy, and nothing here is official JDRF or JDCA news, views, policies or opinions. My blog contains a more complete non-conflict of interest statement. Thanks to everyone who helps with the blog. 
Clinical Trials Blog: http://cureresearch4type1diabetes.blogspot.com
Cured in Mice Blog: http://t1dcuredinmice.blogspot.com/