Transition drops new diabetes drug

pharmafile | September 20, 2010 | News story | Research and Development |  Transition Therapeutics, diabetes, lilly 

Transition Therapeutics is to abandon trials of its new diabetes treatment TT-223 following disappointing trial results.

The Canadian biopharma company says a study of the drug combined with another investigational drug, Lilly’s GLP-1 analogue LY2189265, failed to reach efficacy endpoints.

The company says it is now abandoning the drug, but hopes that another drug it in-licensed and is co-developing with Lilly will prove more successful.

“Development of a disease modifying therapy for type II diabetes is a high risk endeavour, but one that is needed by the millions of people living with this disease. While TT-223 has shown efficacy through development, these results indicate that it does not have the product profile for a diabetes therapy.”

“We wish to acknowledge, our development partner, Lilly, and the many clinicians that have shown a deep commitment in working together with us on the development of TT-223,” said Dr Tony Cruz, chairman and chief executive of Transition.

TT-223 is an analogue of gastrin, a hormone which stimulates the production of gastric acid, but is also believed to help the production of new insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The trial results did not, however, yield positive results, and underline once again the difficulty in advancing diabetes care.

The company’s other diabetes compound in-licensed from Lilly is TT401/402. The drug is an anti-glycaemic compound and is expected to enter phase I trials in the third quarter of 2011.

Andrew McConaghie