Repurposed asthma drug shows reduction in blood glucose

A subset of trial participants with type 2 diabetes showed a significant reduction in blood glucose after taking an anti-asthma drug, according to recent study findings.

In the randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial, some patients with type 2 diabetes responded to amlexanox (aphthasol, Uluru), an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic drug that is used to treat asthma. Researchers conducted a molecular analysis of fat cells from the participants who showed a reduction in glucose.

From their analysis, the researchers found those who responded to the asthma treatment had more inflammation at the beginning of the study than those who did not respond with lowered glucose. The researchers also found more than 1,100 gene changes exclusive to the responder group.

A proof-of-concept trial was conducted on 42 participants with obesity and type 2 diabetes, who were randomized to placebo or amlexanox for 3 months.

“The most exciting part of this is that we have a new drug that has never been studied before,” Alan Saltiel, PhD, director of the University of California San Diego Institute for Diabetes and Metabolic Health, said in a press release. “We’re planning a new study to look at whether we can stratify patients who are likely to respond based on the degree of underlying inflammation. A second study will look at a combination with another drug that we think will be particularly effective.”