American researchers have announced the development of a new drug delivery system, namely a “hydrogel” that transforms daily or weekly injections of drugs for diabetes and weight control into once every 4 months.
The researchers explained in their study published Wednesday in the journal Cell Reports Medicine that such a system would significantly improve management of both diabetes and weight, and improve patient compliance with medications.
Half a billion people worldwide suffer from type 2 diabetes, including 130 million in America alone.
There is a class of drugs for type 2 diabetes that not only improves blood sugar control but can also lead to weight loss, and they are called “glucagon-like peptide 1” (GLP-1) agonists.
These drugs work by mimicking the action of glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone produced naturally in the body and which plays an important role in regulating blood sugar levels. These drugs also help patients feel fuller.
Despite the success of these drugs in helping people manage their diet and weight, taking them as daily or weekly injections places a burden on patients.
The researchers explained that the new hydrogel is a drug-loaded hydrogel (GLP-1), which is injected under the skin in a suitable location such as the area under the arm.
The hydrogel is made up of a network of polymer chains and nanoparticles that hold the drug molecules until the network dissolves; This results in the release of targeted doses over time as the hydrogel slowly dissolves.
The new hydrogel has a fully moderate fluid flow quality that can be easily injected using ready-to-use needles and is characterized by stability that allows it to remain in the body for a full 4 months, according to the team.
For his part, Dr. Eric Appel, associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University, says that the hydrogel molecules disintegrate over a 4-month period, like a sugar cube dissolving in water .
He added, via the university’s website, that the team’s laboratory experiments demonstrated that the hydrogel treatment leads to improved blood sugar levels and weight control over a 4-month period, in a manner which eliminates the need for daily and weekly injections for diabetes.
He explained that the new system is a promising, long-acting treatment and allows type 2 diabetes to be managed more effectively and this could transform treatment and improve outcomes for patients.
As for future steps, he stressed that the team will conduct tests on pigs, because their skin and endocrine system are more similar to humans, and if these experiments go according to plan, clinical trials could be conducted on humans to test the treatment within a year and a half.