JDRF and Arecor to develop more concentrated insulin that could lead to smaller insulin pumps

A new UK research project could lead to insulin pumps becoming smaller because of advances in concentrated insulin.
Arecor Ltd, a Cambridge-based biopharmaceutical company, has announced that it will partner up with JDRF on a project aimed at perfecting a concentrated form of insulin.
Concentrated insulin acts too slow when placed into humans, but the aim of this 12-month collaboration is to produce a concentrated insulin that acts at the same speed as rapid-acting insulin.
Currently, prandial (mealtime) insulins are available at concentrations of up to 200 U/ml, but Arecor and JDRF hope to develop these insulins at concentrations of up to 1,000 U/ml.
This could provide a superior mealtime insulin product for people requiring more than 200 U/day and reduce the dosing volume by five to 10-fold.
Furthermore, the insulin could be held in a smaller vial in an insulin pump, enabling the whole pump to shrink.
This could be an exciting development for people with type 1 diabetes. Insulin pumps and other wearable devices and implants are becoming a critical development in diabetes treatment, and reducing sizes could make them less intrusive and heavy.
Karen Addingto, Chief Executive of JDRF in the UK, said: “Evidence shows insulin pumps can help people with type 1 diabetes live healthier for longer. Allowing these pumps to become smaller would make them even better tools for everyone living with the disease, including small children. We are delighted to partner and collaborate with Arecor.”
Sarah Howell, CEO of Arecorn, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with JDRF as a leading global organisation in type 1 diabetes research. This partnership will accelerate the development of Arecor’s reformulated, ultra-concentrated, rapid-acting insulin programme which is a critical unmet need in the drive towards the next generation of miniaturised insulin delivery technology.
“Ultra-concentrated insulin is an important product component in our portfolio of next generation diabetes products.”