TAK-875 For Treatment Of Type 2 Diabetes

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 27 Feb 2012 - 12:00 PST


A study published Online First in The Lancet , states that TAK-875, a new medicine used for treating type 2 diabetes, is a safe way to improve the control of blood sugar and is said to have minimal risk of low blood sugar. However, there are some side effects.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when a person's body does not respond to insulin, and therefore they develop many chronic conditions, including high blood sugar. It is more common than type 1 diabetes, affecting 90% of the 285 million of people who are living with diabetes around the world.

TAK-875, which is an oral drug and is glucose-dependent, works by boosting insulin secretion. This makes it possible for the drug to help control blood sugar levels, without affecting insulin secretion if the levels of glucose are normal. Therefore, there is no risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

G protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), or free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1), is a vital component for keeping insulin levels regular. FFA1 jump starts the release of insulin from pancreatic β-cells when fatty acids and glucose are higher in the blood. For example, when a person eats their glucose and fatty acid levels rise. When the insulin in released, the glucose levels are lowered. The authors say that medicines that start the FFAR1 receptor may be effective in controlling blood sugar levels.

During their study, Charles Burant, from the University of Michigan Medical School Michigan, USA, and his time recruited 426 patients living with type 2 diabetes, all of whom were having trouble maintaining normal blood sugar levels with the use of diet, exercise, or metformin treatment. 303 of the patients were given 1 of 5 doses of the TAK-875, 61 were given a placebo, and 62 were given glimepride.

At the beginning of the study, glycosylated hemoglobin levels had already changed and by week 12, all of the people who had taken the TAK-875 had HbA1c levels that were lower than the levels of those who had taken the placebo. HbA1c levels among the patients who had taken glimepride were also lowered.

When the dose of TAK-875 was at least 25 mg, the people who had taken it were twice as likely to meet the American Diabetics Association's goal of HbA1c, about 33-48%, than the those who were given the placebo, which was 19%. 40% of the patients who had taken glimepride had levels that met the American Diabetics Association's goal.

Side effects due to treatment were the same for the TAK-875 group and the placebo group - 49% in all of the TAK-875 groups, and 48% in the placebo group. The side effects were more prevalent in the glimepride group at 61%, this was because of the greater risk of hypoglycemia.

The authors conclude:

"In view of the frequent hypoglycemia after treatment with sulfonylureas, the low risk of hypoglycemia after treatment with TAK-875 suggests that there may be therapeutic advantages of targeting FFAR1 in treating people with type 2 diabetes.

We are truly excited about the potential of TAK-875 and are eager to conducts larger trials to find out how well this drug works, how safe it is and whats its place in the treatment of diabetes."

An additional comment, by Cifford Bailey from Aston University, Birmingham, UK, reads:

"On the journey to approval of a new class of treatment for type 2 diabetes, many questions will be asked of the FFAR1 agonists. Can they unlock the secretion-shy β cells, provide durable efficacy, and avoid off-target safety issues?"

Written By Christine Kearney
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

• Additional
• References
• Citations