A New First in Class Drug Shows Promise for Type 2 Diabetes

The injectable drug mimics the action of a little-known hormone….

The experimental drug, called LY, is a copy of a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), and researchers report that it seems to help protect against obesity and may boost the action of insulin.

In a month-long trial of 46 patients with type 2 diabetes who were randomly assigned to receive daily injections of the drug or an inactive placebo, patients who received the highest doses of the drug saw significant, favorable changes in their blood fat (lipid) levels compared to those on the dummy shots. Two "bad" blood fats, LDL and triglycerides, dropped, while patients’ HDL, or "good" cholesterol, increased. Total cholesterol counts also dropped significantly compared to placebo shots.

Patients on the highest doses of the drug also lost some weight, the researchers added.

Insulin and blood sugar levels dipped slightly in patients on the highest doses of the drug, but those changes were not statistically significant compared to patients who were taking the placebo shots, which means they could simply have been a coincidence.

Still, the study authors said they were hopeful that the drug may one day become a useful addition to currently available therapies.

Senior study author Dr. Dave Moller, vice president of endocrinology and cardiovascular research, and clinical investigation for Eli Lilly Co., the company that’s developing the drug, stated that, "Our current understanding suggests that FGF21 has the ability to favorably affect body weight, partially normalize abnormal lipid levels in patients with diabetes, and has the potential to improve glycemic control."

Cell Metabolism, Sept 3, 2013.