Study finds young patients newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes still produce insulin with golimumab

A multi-center study led by a UB pediatric endocrinologist has found that a drug currently on the market for other autoimmune conditions can preserve the beta cells of children and young adults recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes for at least a year after diagnosis.

The research, published Nov. 19 in The New England Journal of Medicine, represents a major step forward in the effort to find ways to preserve the insulin-making capabilities of children and young adults newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

The NEJM paper reports on the 52-week treatment period. This is being followed by a period where participants are monitored but are not taking the drug.

The Phase 2 study demonstrated that golimumab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy, reduced the amount of injected insulin required by children and young adults with newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes by preserving their ability to produce insulin on their own, called endogenous insulin.

The need for less injected insulin is a major quality of life improvement for patients with Type 1 diabetes, according to the researchers.

The World Without Disease Accelerator, a group within Janssen Research & Development LLC, funded the study.

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