A world-first clinical trial has shown that a drug prescribed for certain autoimmune diseases could preserve the ability of pancreatic cells to produce their own insulin in patients recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
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Baricitinib is a commonly prescribed medication for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. It blocks the action of enzymesenzymes Janus kinase, which controls inflammation. For the first time, a global clinical trial has shown that it could also help treat type 1 diabetes, another autoimmune disease, by preserving the ability of pancreatic cells to produce their own insulin.
This would help slow the progression of the disease in newly diagnosed people. “ When the diabetesdiabetes type 1 is diagnosed for the first time, a significant number of insulin-producing cells are still presentexplained Tom Kay, one of the co-authors of the study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. We wanted to know if we could protect these cells from destruction by the immune systemimmune system. »
A promising tablet for new patients
For the trial, 91 patients diagnosed as diabeticsdiabetics during the previous 100 days received for 48 weeks either the treatment (4 mg/day) or a placeboplacebo. Result: the treated group had higher average C-peptide levels than the control group. The C-peptide level represents the reference measurement of secretionsecretion endogenousendogenous of insulin in type 1 diabetics. The higher the level, the more the function of the pancreatic cells is preserved.
The study shows that baricitinib could be administered in tablet form as the first disease-modifying treatment for type 1 diabetes. Researchers hope it will soon be available to better manage type 1 diabetes and prevent complications. complications associated with poor blood sugar control.
