Under this collaboration, Arecor and JDRF will contribute matching funds to develop a stable, liquid co-formulation of pramlintide and insulin (AT271) for people living with diabetes who require prandial insulin treatment. It has been demonstrated that the combined injection of pramlintide and insulin at meal-times results in significantly improved treatment outcomes, such as enhanced post prandial glucose control, improved HbA1c, weight loss and concomitant reduction in insulin doses. Currently pramlintide is underutilised despite these significant benefits as it requires the patient to administer daily injections in addition to their insulin injections. Therefore, combination treatment, AT271, would reduce the burden of use by providing a single injection treatment option for pramlintide and prandial insulin.
Arecor will use its proprietary formulation technology platform, Arestat™, to develop a new, co-formulation of pramlintide and insulin. This will be in accordance with a Development Programme, monitored by a Joint Steering Committee, which will include non-clinical studies to develop a new product. This contract will be managed under the JDRF standard terms for industry partnerships.
Sarah Howell, Chief Executive Officer at Arecor, said: "We are delighted to be collaborating with JDRF. The development of a co-formulation of pramlintide-insulin has the promise to significantly improve the quality of life for people living with diabetes by enabling more effective management of this condition. This collaboration reflects the investment we are making in our proprietary portfolio of diabetes products and we appreciate the support of such a prestigious organisation as JDRF.”
JDRF scientist Jonathan Rosen, PhD, said: “Arecor’s expertise in enhancing current therapies supports our drive to target life-changing breakthroughs to help people better manage type 1 diabetes and ultimately find cures for the disease. An insulin-pramlintide co-formulation will allow people with type 1 diabetes to achieve better glucose control, improving quality of life and in all likelihood ultimately reducing long-term complications.”
About JDRF International
JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.2 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF
About Pramlintide and Insulin
Insulin and amylin hormones are co-secreted by pancreatic beta cells and act in synergy to control blood sugar. Pramlintide, is an FDA approved synthetic form of the natural pancreatic beta cell hormone, amylin and has been approved in the USA by the FDA as an adjunct therapy to mealtime insulin treatment for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Amylin modulates glucose appearance in the blood by suppressing liver glycogenolysis through glucagon inhibition and by slowing gastric emptying. For people living with diabetes, as the disease progresses the secretion of amylin is diminished, until it is ultimately absent.
Injecting pramlintide concomitantly with insulin at meal-times has been demonstrated to improve post prandial glucose control by delaying gastric emptying, suppressing nutrient-stimulated glucagon secretion and increasing satiety. Co-administration also results in improvements in HbA1c, weight loss and reduction in insulin doses.
Despite these benefits, the uptake and adherence of the use of pramlintide as an adjunct treatment to insulin is extremely challenging due to the need for additional daily injections of pramlintide. This barrier could be overcome by the development of a stable liquid co-formulation of a fixed dose ratio of pramlintide and insulin delivered in a single injection.