New York: A young Indian scientist has developed a potential non-insulin drug candidate for diabetic patients that can help eliminate the risk of low-blood glucose shock in case of an insulin overdose.
Arnab De, a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from Columbia University here, has developed the non-insulin drug candidate in collaboration with Richard DiMarchi of Indiana University.
Patients use insulin to keep their sugar levels in check, an overdose of insulin can lead to low blood-glucose (hypoglycemia), which may cause diabeticcoma and be life-threatening.
“We find that there is a peptide hormone in the gut called GLP1 that increases the secretion of insulin only when the blood glucose is high. This effectively eliminates the risk of hypoglycemic shock. Another advantage is that GLP1 also helps in weight loss,” Dr De said.
