Diabetes Vaccine, What Has Become Of It?

Diabetes vaccine studies for phase 3 were initiated sometime in 2008. When I first heard of these studies, I got excited and knew I was on to something good and just had to write about it. Besides, I wanted to add it to the diabetes treatment part of my website. So I did some research on it and came across the Diabetes Vaccine Development Center. This bridges the gap between research and product development.

The Diabetes Vaccine Development Centre is the project of both the Australian Government and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International through the National Health and Medical Research Council. Its job is to recognize, assess, support and coordinate the projects that have been approved by its board.

In its own words, the mission of the centre is "to accelerate the development of one or more vaccines that would prevent or delay the progress of early onset diabetes, aiming to have clinical proof of concept in 3-5 years, with studies conducted to a standard acceptable to regulatory agencies and to an eventual industrial partner."

Now back to the first study that got me excited. This study announced by Diamyd Medical consisted of around 300 patients at 30 to 50 clinics in Europe. About three to five countries participated. The subject of the study is the therapeutic diabetes vaccine called Diamyd.

Professor Ludvigsson, the chief investigator, is from the University of Linkoping, Linkoping, Sweden. The application for the study's Phase III was submitted to the Swedish Medicinal Products Agency. Other submissions were also be sent to other countries in Europe.

FDA also received an application to carry out the Phase III study. CEO of Diamyd Medical, Elizabeth Lindner, said this is an important landmark for Diamyd. More countries and diabetes clinics in Europe participated in the Phase III study.

As a life science corporation, Diamyd Medical develops therapy for diabetes and its complications. They have developed this drug called Diamyd to target autoimmune diabetes. The result of the Phase II clinical trials was encouraging as they showed important and optimistic results in Sweden.

The active matter in Diamyd is GAD65 which is a chief autoantigen in autoimmune diabetes. GAD may have a vital role not only in diabetes. It may also play a role in other diseases that are related to the central nervous system.

Diamyd has a sole license worldwide from the University of California as to the therapeutic use of the GAD65. It has sublicensed this to Neurologix, Inc. New Jersey to treat Parkinson's disease. It has also other projects in the works including the use of GAD and enkephalin for chronic pain.

Wouldn't it be great if the diabetes vaccine came true? Let us hope and pray it does. It has already passed the clinical trials I and II so they are on track to getting nearer for the vaccine to become a reality. It will be every diabetic's dream come true. I looked hard for the result of the Phase III but couldn't find. But I will not stop till they find help for the diabetics in the form of diabetes vaccine.