Obesity And Diabetes Treatment EndoBarrier® Enters U.S. Pivotal Clinical Trial

Main Category: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials
Article Date: 18 Jan 2013 - 5:00 PST


GI Dynamics, Inc. (ASX: GID) have announced that it has initiated its U.S. multicenter pivotal clinical trial of EndoBarrier®, the ENDO Trial, for the treatment of patients who have uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and are obese.

EndoBarrier is a thin, flexible, tube-shaped liner that forms a physical barrier between food and a portion of the wall of the intestine. In previous clinical studies, EndoBarrier has been shown to achieve rapid reductions in blood sugar levels and weight loss of approximately 20 percent in 12 months.[1],[2]  EndoBarrier received CE Mark approval in 2010, and approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia in 2011 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and/or obesity for up to 12 months.

"We're excited to initiate this important trial in the U.S.," said Lee M. Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D., lead investigator and director of the Obesity, Metabolism & Nutrition Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "Results from the pilot studies of EndoBarrier have been very promising, and we look forward to determining the efficacy and safety of this device in this large, controlled, pivotal trial."

People interested in learning more about the ENDO Trial should click here.

"The start of our U.S. pivotal trial marks a major milestone on the road to bringing EndoBarrier to the millions of people in this country living with type 2 diabetes," said Stuart A. Randle, president and chief executive officer, GI Dynamics. "We appreciate the support of our investigators and clinical trial sites as we begin the process of enrolling patients and executing this landmark clinical trial."

About EndoBarrier

EndoBarrier is a thin, flexible, tube-shaped liner that forms a physical barrier between food and a portion of the wall of the intestine. In 12 clinical studies conducted outside the United States and one conducted in the United States, with more than 500 patients, EndoBarrier has been tested in similar patient populations. EndoBarrier received CE Mark approval in 2010, and approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia in 2011 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and/or obesity for up to 12 months. EndoBarrier is now pursuing commercial status in the United States. The first step in this process is a successful completion of the ENDO Trial. The device was developed by GI Dynamics, Inc., based in Lexington, Mass.

About the ENDO Trial

The ENDO Trial is a randomized, double-blind, sham controlled, multi-center trial that is expected to enroll approximately 500 people living with uncontrolled diabetes and obesity who meet specific enrollment criteria at up to 25 sites in the United States. The trial is designed to assess improvements in diabetes over a treatment period of up to 12 months. The primary endpoint of the trial is improvement in HbA1c (a key blood sugar measure for diabetes); secondary measures include weight loss and improvement in select cardiovascular risk factors, such as cholesterol.

About Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity

Estimates indicate that type 2 diabetes affects more than 23 million people in the United States,[3] and approximately 320 million people worldwide.[4] Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for approximately 90 percent of all cases of diabetes, occurs when the pancreas has reduced effectiveness in insulin production associated with an increase in insulin resistance. The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes usually occurs after the age of 40 and is often, but not always, associated with obesity.

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