Unmet Need
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a growing worldwide public health issue affecting over 500 million people while creating a $1 trillion economic burden on global healthcare economies. Many current and new therapeutics demonstrate varying degrees of effectiveness, but no single agent or combination thereof has been able to provide patients with lasting control over their blood sugar levels. Moreover, most of the pharmaceutical development in this space is focused on iteratively improving “me-too” drugs and are therefore unlikely to spur a paradigm shift in T2D treatment. There is an urgent need for a treatment with a novel mechanism of action that can provide lasting glycemic control as a stand-alone or as a part of combination therapy.
Technology Overview
Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a novel gene target and developed a potential antibody approach to treating T2D. This targeted monoclonal therapy is based on the findings of a recent genome study that characterized a rare loss-of-function mutation in a pancreatic β-cell transporter protein which played a protective role against developing T2D while a gain-of-function mutation in the same transporter protein is associated with increased risk. The administration of this novel monoclonal antibody promoted a T2D protective phenotype in a way that targets a core insulin pathophysiology of the disease.
Stage of Development
A monoclonal antibody has been generated and characterized. In vitro data is available.
Publications
1. J. Biol. Chem. (2018) 293(42) 16206 –16216
2. J. Biol. Chem. (2019) 294(45) 16992–17006
