Oral type 2 diabetes drug shows potential in Japanese trial

A new oral type 2 diabetes drug has become one step closer to being made available after showing potential in a recent trial.
During a 24-week study in Japa, imeglimin was shown to significantly reduce blood glucose levels when compared with placebo.
Imeglimin is an oxidative phosphorylation blocker which represents a new class of diabetes drugs. The new medication has been developed by French biopharmaceutical company Poxel.
The medication has the ability to address both lack of insulin production as well as insulin resistance. Imeglimin has a unique mechanism of action that means it acts on the three key organs: the liver, muscles and the pancreas, which play important roles in type 2 diabetes.
Phase III trials of the drug are being planned in the US and Europe later this year. Depending on the results of these trials, the drug could be approved in Europe by 2023.
Poxel aims to apply for market approval of imeglimin next year in Japa, which has a less complex drug development path.
Professor Kohjiro Ueki, Director of the Diabetes Research Center at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo, said: “I am very excited to contribute to the development of a new and innovative potential treatment option for Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.
“Imeglimin’s safety profile combined with its unique mechanism of action that targets very important deficiencies occurring in diabetes, namely beta-cell function, as well as insulin resistance, could be helpful for Japanese patients to manage their disease.”
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