A New Diabetes Drug Improves Blood Sugar

In type 2 diabetes, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a protein that causes β-cells in the pancreas to fail. Gevokizumab is a drug that fights these IL-1β proteins.

Marc Y. Donath, MD, of the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland, and colleagues recently studied the effects and safety of gevokizumab in patients with type 2 diabetes.

They found that patients taking medium doses of gevokizumab reduced their HbA1c levels by 0.85 percent after three months. These patients had improved sensitivity to insulin and lower levels of C-reactive protein -- a sign of inflammation, which is a key characteristic of diabetes.

The authors conclude that gevokizumab may reduce inflammation and improve blood sugar control by improving patients' production and use of insulin.

They recommend the drug be used once-a-month or on a longer schedule.

For their study, the researchers split 98 patients into two groups: one receiving gevokizumab at increasing doses and dosing schedules, and one receiving placebo.

From the results of the study they concluded that, this novel IL-1β-neutralizing antibody improved glycemia, possibly via restored insulin production and action, and reduced inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes. This therapeutic agent may be able to be used on a once-every-month or longer schedule. The drug has not been approved for lowering blood sugars.

Claudia Cavelti-Weder, et al. "Effects of Gevokizumab on Glycemia and Inflammatory Markers in Type 2 Diabetes." June 14, 2012. Diabetes Care.