Arecor Therapeutics PLC (AIM:AREC) will present positive phase I trial data on its ultra-concentrated, ultra-rapid-acting insulin, AT278, at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2024 conference in Madrid later on Wednesday (Sept 11).
The trial involved overweight and obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes, showing that AT278 significantly accelerates insulin absorption compared to NovoRapid, a commonly used fast-uptake insulin.
The findings are consistent with previous results in people with Type 1 diabetes, confirming that AT278 retains its faster action profile, regardless of diabetes type or body mass index (BMI).
As a highly concentrated insulin (500 U/mL), AT278 offers a solution for patients with high daily insulin requirements, reducing injection volume while maintaining efficacy.
The rapid absorption profile of AT278 also makes it an important development for next-generation, miniaturised insulin pumps, which require more concentrated insulins to reduce size and increase wear time. No safety concerns were identified during the trial, highlighting a favourable safety profile.
The study's principal investigator, Professor Thomas Pieber, said: "The clinical significance of these findings is considerable. AT278's accelerated early PK/PD profile compared with NovoRapid in overweight and obese people with Type 2 diabetes confirms previous findings in people with Type 1 diabetes and shows that AT278 can maintain its faster action profile irrespective of diabetes type and BMI.
"The faster onset and stronger early glucose-lowering effect, consistent across BMI subgroups, indicate that AT278 could provide significantly better post-prandial glucose control and improved convenience for anyone with diabetes who has a high daily insulin need.
"It also, clearly, can be a catalyst in the progress towards miniaturised next-generation insulin pumps, where the size of existing devices remains a major hurdle for development."