GlaxoSmithKline announced initiation and dosing of the first patient of the phase-III clinical trial programme to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the investigational GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide 1) agonist Syncria (albiglutide) in men and women with type-2 diabetes. The phase-III programme will include more than 4,000 patients.

"Despite continued advances in diabetes treatment, this devastating disease continues to increase at an alarming pace worldwide. It is clear that new therapies are needed to better control type 2 diabetes and to improve people's lives," said Carlo Russo, senior vice president, Biopharm Development, GlaxoSmithKline. "Albiglutide is a novel biological currently being investigated to determine its potential to help people control their blood sugar, particularly when oral treatments alone may not provide an adequate response."

Albiglutide is an investigational biological, injectable form of human GLP-1 - a peptide that acts throughout the body to help maintain normal blood-sugar levels and to control appetite.