Hyderabad: University of Hyderabad develops potential new treatment option for diabetes

Hyderabad : Diabetes (Type I, Type 2 and gestational diabetes) is a disease in which blood glucose levels rise in an uncontrolled damage causing damage to heart, kidney, eyes and nerves. There are several drugs available to treat Type 2 diabetes, yet many patients cannot attain normal glucose levels. New options to treat this disease are urgently needed.

Reagene Innovation Pvt Ltd, a start-up biotech company incubated at University of Hyderabad’s ASPIRE-BioNEST incubation center has developed a new strategy to reduce blood glucose. They proposed that 70% of blood glucose could be derived from diet, so inhibiting absorption of dietary glucose by the small intestine could lower glucose levels. To achieve blocking intestinal glucose absorption, they developed chicken antibodies to a protein SGLT1 which transports glucose. (see 1.jpg attached)

They developed chicken antibodies to SGLT1 and now show that the antibodies improve glucose levels and glycemic profile in animal models demonstrating potential new therapy for humans. (see 2.jpg attached)

Using chicken derived IgY antibodies in humans is accepted by regulatory bodies in the world, so this approach is highly feasible as treatment for diabetes said Dr. Satish Chandran, CEO of ProdIgY Bio Inc, USA, a collaborator of Reagene.

“Type 2 diabetes needs new approaches urgently so demonstration of a new potential treatment option is very exciting”, said Dr. Subrahmanyam Vangala, Co-Founder of Reagene Innovations.

Dr. Uday Saxena, the lead scientist and Co-Founder of Reagene said, “Brining relief to millions of diabetics through new ideas by Indian start-ups is needed because India has the world’s highest number of diabetics”. Professor GS Prasad and Professor S. Rajagopal, Directors of ASPIRE BioNEST Incubator said that the start-up ecosystem at BIONEST is built to support startups with new ideas and every new innovation developed at the incubator adds significant value.