Created a drug for the prevention and treatment of complications of diabetes mellitus

Scientists of the Ural Federal University (UrFU) with colleagues from the Volgograd State Medical University have created a drug for the prevention and treatment of complications of diabetes. They already have three patents: for the method of obtaining a substance with antiglycemic activity, for the method of obtaining a pharmaceutical composition based on it and for its use as a means of treatment and prevention of late complications of diabetes. The scientists also concluded an agreement with a pharmaceutical company to attract investment and the subsequent launch of the drug on the market.

“At the moment, the pharmaceutical company, with our direct scientific and technological support, is organizing the production of a pilot batch of the finished dosage form in capsules in the required doses and in the required quantities. We are also preparing a registration dossier for certification of the drug and obtaining permission from the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation to conduct clinical trials,” explains Svetlana Kotovskaya, senior researcher of the Fundamental Research Laboratory of Physiologically Active Substance at UrFU.

In the case of successful clinical trials, it will have an innovative drug for the prevention and treatment of diabetes complications. This is important because there are currently no drugs with a similar mechanism of action - blocking the main pathways for the development and progression of late complications of diabetes mellitus.

One of the main causes of disability in patients with diabetes is the effect of hyperglycemia and the reaction of protein glycation on human organs and tissues. This leads to the development of various complications: kidney failure (diabetic nephropathy), pigmented lesions of the nervous system (neuropathy), heart failure (cardiomyopathy) and others.

“The drug with the conventional name AB-19 was recommended for preclinical studies as a substance for the prevention and treatment of complications of diabetes mellitus. We conducted a full range of preclinical studies. We checked the specific pharmacological activity and safety of the drug, developed the production technology, quality indicators and quality control methods for the pharmaceutical substance and the finished dosage on it base. We also conducted studies to establish the mechanism of action, prepared the regulatory and technical documents necessary to obtain permission to conduct the first phase of a clinical trial,” explain the creators. 

Scientists of the Ural Federal University with the colleagues from the Volgograd State Medical University in 2017 won the grant of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of the Russian Federation within the program "Pharma-2020". The result of work on this project is the creation of the drug AB-19.

Note

Diabetes is a chronic disease that develops when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin and/or the body cannot use the insulin it produces effectively. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Antiglycemic medications can lower a diabetic's blood sugar levels.

A common consequence of uncontrolled diabetes is hyperglycemia, or elevated blood sugar levels, which over time leads to serious damage to many body systems, especially kidney failure, and damage to the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Type 2 diabetes develops as a result of inefficient use of insulin by the body. It affects more than 95% of diabetics.

Between 1980 and 2014, the number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million to 422 million, according to the World Health Organization. In 2019, diabetes was the ninth leading cause of death worldwide and is estimated to directly cause 1.5 million deaths.