Study Finds Baricitinib Could Delay Progression of Type 1 Diabetes – HCPLive
A trial comparing baricitinib against placebo in people with new-onset type 1 diabetes suggests use could contribute to the preservation of β-cell function. Thomas Kay, MBBS, PhDCredit: LinkedInBaricitinib (Olumiant), an agent used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, could prove useful for delaying the progression of type 1 diabetes, according to data from a randomized, controlled trial of 91 patients.Funded by JDRF International, the trial, which compared baricitinib against placebo for preserving β-cell function in type 1 diabetes, concluded daily treatment with baricitinib over 48 weeks reduced need for insulin and appeared to preserve β-cell function among these patients.1“It is tremendously exciting for us to be the first group anywhere in the world to test the efficacy of baricitinib as a potential type 1 diabetes treatment,” said principal investigator Thomas Kay, MBBS, PhD, director of and head of the Tom Mandel Islet Transplant Program at St Vincent's Institute in Melbourne.2 “Up until now, people with type 1 diabetes have been reliant on insulin delivered via injection or infusion pump. Our trial showed that, if started early enough after diagnosis, and while the participants remained on the medication, their production of insulin was maintained.”In the 100 years after the discovery of
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