Genprex, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNPX) has announced that data highlighting the potential of its gene therapy for Type 1 diabetes is being presented by its research collaborators at the University of Pittsburgh at the four-day International Conference on Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD 2023), which started on February 22, 2023, in Berlin, Germany.
The Austin, Texas-based clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing therapies for patients with cancer and diabetes, said the abstract data was released, and the presentation will be delivered on February 25 at 2:25 pm CET by Ranjeet Kalsi, a member of the laboratory of George Gittes, from the University of Pittsburgh’s Division of Pediatric Surgery, in Pennsylvania.
The presentation titled, "Pancreatic Intraductal Infusion of Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) to Treat Non-Human Primates in a Toxin-Induced Diabetes Model," will report results from eight non-human primates (NHPs) with toxin-induced diabetes after streptozocin administration. They received a novel infusion process that used an AAV vector to deliver Pdx1 and MafA genes directly to the pancreas, said the company.
"These results are compelling as they demonstrate the potential for this gene therapy to create newly formed beta-like cells that can produce insulin. They also validate earlier studies of this approach in diabetic mouse models that showed restoration of normal blood glucose levels for several months," Genprex Chief Medical Officer Mark Berger said in a statement.
Advancing gene therapy
"We are eager to continue working to advance this gene therapy into human clinical trials in order to replicate these outcomes in people and potentially provide long-term replacement of beta-cells," he added.
According to Genprex, the “statistically significant study results” show that post-infusion of the AAV engineered construct, the eight NHPs had "decreased insulin requirements (p<0.001); increased c-peptide levels (p<0.05); and improved glucose tolerance compared to baseline (p<0.05) with one demonstrating reestablished normoglycemia.
“Immunohistochemistry revealed insulin and glucagon staining, which suggest the formation of insulin-producing cells," noted Berger.
The diabetes technologies licensed from the University of Pittsburg by Genprex were developed in the lab of George Gittes, chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the university.
"We are delighted with the statistically significant outcomes from this NHP study in Type-1 diabetes as it further supports our thesis on the potential of our gene therapy approach in diabetes,” said Dr Gittes. “Importantly, it shows a positive data progression from our earlier mouse model data to these NHP data."
Meanwhile, Genprex CEO Rodney Varner said the “promising data” further supports the firm’s belief that this gene therapy approach to treating diabetes has the potential to change the course of the disease in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
"Based on data from a number of preclinical in vivo studies, we are encouraged that our novel gene therapy approach could provide long-term efficacy in humans potentially making exogenous insulin unnecessary, which would be a gamechanger for the 537 million people around the world living with diabetes," Varner added.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
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