Grant Funds Advanced Hypoglycemia Kits
(photo courtesy of Purdue University)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Fishers company and a Purdue University researcher have received help from a National Institute of Health grant to develop a more advanced, quicker rescue kit to treat hypoglycemia. The National Institute of Health SBIR Phase I/II grant of up to $1.4 million grant was awarded to Monon Bioventures and will support a collaboration with Purdue professor Elizabeth Topp for the pre-clinical development of derivatives of glucagon, which is the drug used in rescue kits.
Current rescue kits require someone to mix a solution in a vial and are cumbersome, and with more than 100 million adults living with diabetes and pre-diabetes, researchers have been looking for better alternatives.
Topp, and Monon Bioventures Chief Science Officer Mark Herman used glucagon derivatives to form a soluble solution that is quickly reconverted to natural glucagon by the body after injection.
“Utilizing Topp’s innovative approach, we will be able to significantly improve patient access to this important medicine,” Heiman said. “The new glucagon solution will enable the development of much easier delivery methods such as an EpiPen-like device. Intranasal delivery may even be possible, and the derivatives may allow for the realization of an effective, dual-hormone artificial pancreas.”
The research gives support to Purdue’s Giant Leaps celebration as part of the university’s 150th anniversary.