A new way to combine two drugs in a single injection could help people with diabetes achieve more precise blood sugar control after eating, say investigators.
Insulin and a drug based on the hormone amylin more effectively control blood sugar levels when taken together than does insulin alone. Yet the two hormones are too chemically unstable to combine, and administering a second shot of amylin after taking insulin is an insurmountable barrier for most patients, said Stanford University investigators. In fact, only about 1% of patients using insulin currently inject themselves with amylin.
The study team has created a protective coating that wraps around insulin and amylin molecules, allowing them to coexist in a single syringe or insulin pump.
“This coating dissolves in the bloodstream, enabling these two important hormones to work together in a way that mimics how they function in healthy individuals,” said Eric Appel, Ph.D., in a statement.
The drug combination has been tested in animals. The team must now demonstrate that it is nontoxic in order to begin human trials. Since both hormones are already commercially available, the technology is closer to market than most early-stage drugs, the researchers claim.
Full findings were published Monday in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
