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Oral glucagon-receptor antagonist reduces HbA1c
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In a phase 2 study, a novel oral glucagon-receptor antagonist reduced blood glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a press release from the agent’s developer.
Study participants (n = 166) with type 2 diabetes on a stable dose of metformin were randomly assigned to one of three doses of the agent (LGD-6972, Ligand Pharmaceuticals) or placebo.
A dose-dependent reduction in HbA1c was seen among participants after 12 weeks of treatment: 0.9% with the 5-mg dose, 0.92% with the 10-mg dose and 1.2% with the 15-mg dose of LGD-6972, compared with a 0.15% reduction with placebo.
There were no serious adverse reactions to the drug, and no changes in lipids, body weight or BP were associated with dose.
“A safe and effective small-molecule glucagon-receptor antagonist would be a major advancement in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, providing a novel and unique mechanism to manage the disease and potentially a way to influence the natural progression of the disease,” Robert Henry, MD, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and direct of the Center for Metabolic Research, VA, said in a press release. “The clinical data set, lack of adverse events, and strong and clinically relevant reduction of HbA1c shows promise for patients with type 2 diabetes and clearly warrants further clinical evaluation and advancement.”