The end of diabetes? In Israel, Tallinn will begin clinical trials in humans

[dani191]

The end of diabetes? In Israel, Tallinn will begin clinical trials in humans
The company, which believes its "bio-artificial" pancreas will free millions of patients from insulin injections, will apply to start human trials in the UK. The company's technology was developed by Prof. Eduardo Mitarni of the University of Jerusalem
Calcalist Service 11: 1123.07.20
Tags: BatalinMicroBalvexDiabetesClinical trialEduardo Mitrani
The Israeli company Betalin Therapeutics, which has created an artificial micro-pancreas that it claims can "cure" diabetes, intends to submit a request next month to begin clinical trials in humans in the UK, the British Guardian reports.

Read more in Calcalist:
Has a cure been found for diabetes?
The action you take every day causes diabetes and heart disease. A new Israeli start-up promises to solve the problem



According to the report, the company believes that the "bio-artificial" pancreas it has created will free millions of diabetics from the need to perform insulin injections and monitor blood sugar levels. The treatment is intended for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who need insulin.

Prof. Eduardo Mitterney
Prof. Eduardo Mitterney
Photo: Betalin


The company, based in Jerusalem, told the Guardian that it intends to submit a clinical trial program to British regulators as early as August, with the intention of starting the trial early next year so that the drug can be launched and marketed by 2024.



At the center of the invention is a biological scaffold created by the company from pig lung cells, which holds beta cells. These cells release insulin based on the patient's blood sugar levels. The artificial micro-pancreas is implanted under the skin of the thigh under local anesthesia.



"Our unique technology allows the body to heal itself," Dr. Nikolai Konicher, the company's CEO, told the newspaper. "Right now, the focus is on diabetes, but there are many other diseases that we hope we can cure with this technology."





Nikolai Konicher
Nikolai Konicher


Batalin's technology was developed by Professor Eduardo Mitrani of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.




The company said it had chosen to conduct the trials in the UK because the country had already approved another treatment for diabetes, in which beta cells are implanted in the liver. However, Batalin stressed that the micro-pancreas should be more stable, survive longer and even cheaper, but that it will probably cost more than $ 40,000.



The trials are planned to be launched at several hospitals affiliated with Leeds and Newcastle universities. Dr Omar Massoud, a British transplant surgeon with experience in treating diabetes, will lead the project. "It has the potential to affect 400,000 people in the UK," he said.



Batalin has received £ 4.5 million in grants from the European Union and has even raised over £ 6 million from Chinese, American and Israeli investors.
https://www.calcalist.co.il/world/articles/0,7340,L-3841240,00.html

 

[dani191]

Israeli firm says micro-pancreas to 'cure' diabetes ready for UK trials
Exclusive: hopes testing can begin in 2021 on product intended to free people of need for insulin injections

Testing blood sugar level for diabetes. Photograph: Trevor Smith / Alamy/Alamy

Oliver Holmes
Published onThu 23 Jul 2020 06.00 BST
0
An Israeli company claiming to have created a tiny micro-pancreas that can “cure” diabetes for millions of people has said it will submit a request next month for human clinical trials in the UK.

Betalin Therapeutics said its “bio-artificial” pancreas aims to free patients of the need for insulin injections and blood sugar monitoring. It is designed for people with type 1 diabetes, and those with type 2 diabetes who require insulin.

The Jerusalem-based firm told the Guardian it would provide a plan for clinical trials to Britain’s regulatory agency in August. Betalin aims to begin human testing early next year, with the hope of delivering to the market by 2024.

Central to the innovation is a biological scaffold, adapted from pig lung tissue, that holds beta cells. Those cells release insulin based on the patient’s blood sugar levels. The miniature artificial pancreas, just visible to the naked eye, is implanted under the skin on the thigh using local anaesthesia.

“Our unique technology allows the body to heal itself,” said Nikolai Kunicher, the chief executive of Betalin. “For now, the focus is on diabetes, but there are many more diseases that we intend to cure with the aid of this technology.”

More than 460 million people live with diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation, although not all have been diagnosed. A 2016 study by the World Health Organization found the metabolic disorder was the seventh most common cause of death, above road injury.

Betalin’s technology was developed by Prof Eduardo Mitrani of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute of Life Sciences.



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The company said it chose to conduct tests in Britain because the country had already approved another diabetes treatment, called the Edmonton Protocol, in which beta cells are implanted on the liver. But Betalin said its micro-pancreas would be more robust, longer-lasting, and cheaper, although its still likely to coast more than $40,000 (£31,000).

Trials are planned in several hospitals affiliated with the Leeds and Newcastle universities, with Omar Masood, a UK transplant surgeon with experience in combatting diabetes, directing the project.

“This has the potential to affect up to 400,000 people in the UK,” he said.

Betalin’s advisory committee includes two Nobel laureates in chemistry, both of whom have diabetes – Sidney Altman of Yale University and Arieh Warshel of the University of South Carolina.

It has received grants amounting to about £4.5m from the EU and raised more than £6m from Chinese, US and Israeli investors.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...pancreas-to-cure-diabetes-ready-for-uk-trials

 

[denel]

The end of diabetes? In Israel, Tallinn will begin clinical trials in humans
The company, which believes its "bio-artificial" pancreas will free millions of patients from insulin injections, will apply to start human trials in the UK. The company's technology was developed by Prof. Eduardo Mitarni of the University of Jerusalem
Calcalist Service 11: 1123.07.20
Tags: BatalinMicroBalvexDiabetesClinical trialEduardo Mitrani
The Israeli company Betalin Therapeutics, which has created an artificial micro-pancreas that it claims can "cure" diabetes, intends to submit a request next month to begin clinical trials in humans in the UK, the British Guardian reports.

Read more in Calcalist:
Has a cure been found for diabetes?
The action you take every day causes diabetes and heart disease. A new Israeli start-up promises to solve the problem



According to the report, the company believes that the "bio-artificial" pancreas it has created will free millions of diabetics from the need to perform insulin injections and monitor blood sugar levels. The treatment is intended for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who need insulin.

Prof. Eduardo Mitterney
Prof. Eduardo Mitterney
Photo: Betalin


The company, based in Jerusalem, told the Guardian that it intends to submit a clinical trial program to British regulators as early as August, with the intention of starting the trial early next year so that the drug can be launched and marketed by 2024.



At the center of the invention is a biological scaffold created by the company from pig lung cells, which holds beta cells. These cells release insulin based on the patient's blood sugar levels. The artificial micro-pancreas is implanted under the skin of the thigh under local anesthesia.



"Our unique technology allows the body to heal itself," Dr. Nikolai Konicher, the company's CEO, told the newspaper. "Right now, the focus is on diabetes, but there are many other diseases that we hope we can cure with this technology."





Nikolai Konicher
Nikolai Konicher


Batalin's technology was developed by Professor Eduardo Mitrani of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.




The company said it had chosen to conduct the trials in the UK because the country had already approved another treatment for diabetes, in which beta cells are implanted in the liver. However, Batalin stressed that the micro-pancreas should be more stable, survive longer and even cheaper, but that it will probably cost more than $ 40,000.



The trials are planned to be launched at several hospitals affiliated with Leeds and Newcastle universities. Dr Omar Massoud, a British transplant surgeon with experience in treating diabetes, will lead the project. "It has the potential to affect 400,000 people in the UK," he said.



Batalin has received £ 4.5 million in grants from the European Union and has even raised over £ 6 million from Chinese, American and Israeli investors.
https://www.calcalist.co.il/world/articles/0,7340,L-3841240,00.html

There are different diabetes forms.

This is specific to Type 1. Most common is Type 2 - 99% do not use insulin as it is counter productive to the actual problem.