VIENNA, Oct. 14,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Groundbreaking research
presented today at UEG Week 2024 reveals a promising new treatment
strategy for type 2 diabetes (T2D) that could significantly reduce
or even eliminate the need for insulin therapy.
This innovative approach, which combines a novel procedure known
as ReCET (Re-Cellularization via Electroporation Therapy) with
semaglutide, resulted in the elimination of insulin therapy for 86%
of patients.
Globally, T2D affects 422 million people, with obesity
recognised as a significant risk factor. While insulin therapy is commonly used to
manage blood sugar levels in T2D patients, it can result in side
effects such as weight gain and further complicate diabetes
management. A need therefore exists for alternative treatment
strategies.
The first-in-human study included 14 participants aged 28 to 75
years, with body mass indices ranging from 24 to 40 kg/m². Each
participant underwent the ReCET procedure under deep sedation, a
treatment intended to improve the body's sensitivity to its own
insulin. Following the procedure, participants adhered to a
two-week isocaloric liquid diet, after which semaglutide was
gradually titrated up to 1mg/week.
Remarkably, at the 6- and 12-month follow-up, 86% of
participants (12 out of 14) no longer required insulin therapy, and
this success continued through the 24-month follow-up. In these
cases, all patients maintained glycaemic control, with HbA1c levels
remaining below 7.5%.
The maximum dose of semaglutide was well-tolerated by 93% of
participants, one individual could not increase to the maximum dose
due to nausea. All patients successfully completed the ReCET
procedure, and no serious adverse effects were reported.
Dr Celine Busch, lead author of
the study, commented, "These findings are very encouraging,
suggesting that ReCET is a safe and feasible procedure that, when
combined with semaglutide, can effectively eliminate the need for
insulin therapy."
"Unlike drug therapy, which requires daily medication adherence,
ReCET is compliance-free, addressing the critical issue of ongoing
patient adherence in the management of T2D. In addition, the
treatment is disease-modifying: it improves the patient's
sensitivity to their own (endogenous) insulin, tackling the root
cause of the disease, as opposed to currently available drug
therapies, that are at best disease-controlling."
"We are currently conducting the EMINENT-2 trial with the same
inclusion and exclusion criteria and administration of semaglutide,
but with either a sham procedure or ReCET. This study will also
include mechanistic assessments to evaluate the underlying
mechanism of ReCET."
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SOURCE UEG Week