reMYND NV announced that its experimental diabetes drug ReS39 has demonstrated a strong disease modifying effect in mice, in which the insulin producing capacity of ß-cells is preserved possibly even restored in a durable way through a novel mechanism of action.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is characterised by abnormally high levels of blood glucose caused by non-responsiveness of tissues such as muscle and liver to insulin, i.e. insulin resistance, combined with a failure of the ß-cells to produce sufficient insulin. On a global scale the prevalence of diabetes with its severe associated complications is rising rapidly as a result of lifestyle changes and increased ageing of the population. As such, T2DM is a pressing medical and socio-economic challenge, forecast to touch upon more than half a billion people by 2030.

Whereas currently available treatments are mainly symptomatic, novel approaches addressing the cause of T2DM development are urgently needed. Therefore, reMYND focusses on the development of small molecules to protect ß-cells from extracellular stressors known to negatively impact ß-cell function and survival in humans.

Treatment of diabetic mice with experimental drug ReS39 led to normalisation of elevated glucose levels in blood. In depth analysis revealed that both insulin resistance and ß-cell function were markedly improved and the effect lasted even weeks after the treatment was stopped. These strong and durable effects were clearly superior to metformin, the current first-line treatment of choice after diet and exercise.

ReS39 employs a novel mechanism which the researchers think enables body cells to be more resilient to the detrimental effects posed by altered diet and ensuing soaring blood glucose levels.

Commenting on the results, Bart De Taeye, Diabetes Project Leader of reMYND said: “This experimental treatment has a promising therapeutic potential superior to current therapeutic options. We look forward to bringing the product into clinical studies and assessing its effect in diabetes patients.”

Gerard Griffioen, CSO added: “It is intriguing to realise that only a few years ago we were fully focused on brain disorders. Within this short time frame and with the ample support of IWT, we went from assay development to nominating a pre-clinical diabetes candidate, underscoring the power of our discovery platform.”

This diabetes programme has been made possible by two grants of IWT, the Flemish institute providing grants to companies and academia in Flanders. reMYND will present the pre-clinical data of this programme on May 8th, 2014 at Knowledge For Growth in Ghent, the largest regional biotech conference in Europe.