Leading diabetes research funder JDRF has awarded a 2-year $525,000 grant to International Diabetes Center (IDC) to support a study of intranasal insulin in Type 1 diabetes patients with hypoglycemia unawareness, the first time that JDRF has funded intranasal insulin research.
JDRF has previously funded a study of Afrezza inhaled insulin used with an artificial pancreas, and has partnered with MannKind on research into pediatric use of Afrezza.
The announcement specified that the intranasal insulin study is different from the previous Afrezza study. According to the organization, “The use of intranasal insulin treatments is not intended to replace traditional insulin therapies, nor expected to change blood glucose levels.”
JDRF Associate Director of Research Marlon Pragnell said, “Over time, people with T1D who experience frequent hypoglycemia develop an impaired ability to sense the symptoms and often miss the initial warning signs that can help save them from severe medical episodes, This study delves into an innovative approach to administering insulin that can potentially be a significant help to the community. The results will help determine whether this method of delivering insulin is safe and effective at helping patients to better recognize and respond when they are hypoglycemic.”
Lead researcher Anders L. Carlson commented, “It’s very exciting to think of using insulin in this new way, which has not been studied before in type 1 diabetes. This will help answer bigger questions about the brain function of people during periods of hypoglycemia. That is a major question that remains unsolved.”
Read the JDRF press release.
