Artificial pancreas could change lives of children with type-1 diabetes
A new landmark study looking at the efficacy of a device that functions as an artificial pancreas to treat type-1 diabetes in young children has shown very promising results.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge assessed the CamAPS FX, a hybrid closed-loop system that uses an algorithm to determine the amount of insulin administered to children aged between one and seven. When compared to current sensor-augmented pump therapy – which requires parents to review their child’s glucose levels with a monitor and manually adjust insulin amounts – they found it was significantly better at improving glycaemic control.
Managing type-1 diabetes is challenging in very young children due to their high insulin sensitivity and unpredictable eating and activity patterns, among other variables.
This is the first time data of sufficient duration on this type of treatment has become available. Roman Hovorka, Professor of Metabolic Technology at the Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, said: “With these new results clinicians have the evidence to show more clearly the potential benefits of what may become a new standard of care for very young children with type-1 diabetes.”
DMT to be studied as potential treatment for stroke patients
Algernon Pharmaceuticals is researching the use of the psychedelic drug DMT in patients who have experienced a stroke. The company has identified a novel salt form of the drug which has a separate structure to the original compound and is therefore considered a new composition.
The Canadian drug repurposing company is planning to launch a Phase-1 clinical trial in the UK pending approval, to evaluate whether DMT can be used as an effective treatment. Algernon says that several pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that DMT helps mitigate tissue damage and promote functional neural plasticity, important factors involved in the brain’s ability to heal following a brain injury.
DMT is a hallucinogenic drug that occurs naturally in many plant species and animals, often used in religious ceremonies as a traditional spiritual medicine by indigenous people in the Amazonian basin.
China toughens anti-monopoly laws
The Chinese government is introducing new legislation to prevent monopoly practices and unfair competition in the pharmaceutical sector.
It also plans to enforce anti-monopoly laws specifically for the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) market, following new guidelines it released in November 2021. The guidelines specified that API manufacturers’ entering into joint production, procurement, sales or bidding agreements with competitors is forbidden.
China is a leading producer of APIs, accounting for 40 percent of all global exports. The country’s ministry of industry and information technology said it would "strengthen law enforcement against unfair competition, and resolutely investigate unfair competitive acts, such as commercial bribery".
Also in the news
- PneumoWave, a digital therapeutics company specializing in respiratory depression, has partnered with King’s College London on a clinical trial to help reduce opioid-related deaths, spurred on by the rising numbers of people dying of overdose.
- CliniSys has acquired HORIZON Lab Systems, creating one of the world’s largest organizations dedicated to diagnostics and laboratory informatics. Combined, the two organizations have more than 1,300 employees across 12 countries.
- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to release new guidance for drugmakers. Issued by the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), the guidelines will contain protocol deviations for clinical trials, advice on regulatory issues for new therapies such as gene therapies, and guidance on risk management plans that companies need to employ to mitigate for potential drug shortages.
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