Details of a treatment announced that could eliminate need for insulin therapy in people with type 2 diabetes
Findings presented recently at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week in Vienna, Austria.
Researchers have shared their findings of a promising new treatment strategy for type 2 diabetes that could significantly reduce or even eliminate the need for insulin therapy.
The study combined a novel procedure known as ReCET (Re-Cellularization via Electroporation Therapy) with semaglutide, which researchers from Amsterdam University in the Netherlands found resulted in the elimination of insulin therapy for 86% of patients living with type 2 diabetes.
It is currently estimated that 422 million people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes around the world, with obesity recognised as a significant risk factor.
While insulin therapy is commonly used to manage blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes, it can result in side effects such as weight gain and further complicate diabetes management. Therefore, researchers believed a need existed for alternative treatment strategies.
The first-in-human study included 14 participants aged 28 to 75 years, with body mass index (BMI) ranging from 24 to 40 kg/m². Each participant underwent the ReCET procedure under deep sedation, a treatment intended to improve the body’s sensitivity to its own insulin. Following the procedure, participants followed a two-week isocaloric liquid diet, after which semaglutide was gradually raised to 1mg/week.
Researchers found that at 6- and 12-month follow-up tests, 86% of participants (12 out of 14) no longer required insulin therapy, and this success continued through the 24-month follow-up. In these cases, all patients maintained glycaemic control, with HbA1c levels remaining below 7.5%.
The maximum dose of semaglutide was well-tolerated by 93% of participants. Researchers noted that one individual could not increase to the maximum dose due to nausea. All patients successfully completed the ReCET procedure, and no serious adverse effects were reported.
Dr Celine Busch, Research Fellow at Amsterdam University Medical Research Center and lead author of the study, said: “These findings are very encouraging, suggesting that ReCET is a safe and feasible procedure that, when combined with semaglutide, can effectively eliminate the need for insulin therapy.”
“Unlike drug therapy, which requires daily medication adherence, ReCET is compliance-free, addressing the critical issue of ongoing patient adherence in the management of type 2 diabetes. In addition, the treatment is condition-modifying: it improves the patient’s sensitivity to their own (endogenous) insulin, tackling the root cause of the disease, as opposed to currently available drug therapies, that are at best disease-controlling.”
The research team plans to conduct larger randomised controlled trials to back-up their findings.
Dr Busch added: “We are currently conducting the EMINENT-2 trial with the same inclusion and exclusion criteria and administration of semaglutide, but with either a sham procedure or ReCET. This study will also include mechanistic assessments to evaluate the underlying mechanism of ReCET.”
Find out more about UEG Week 2024
Read more about type 2 diabetes
I would like to make a regular donation of
I would like to make a single donation of
There are lots of ways to raise money to support
people living with all forms of diabetes.
Bake, Swim, Cycle, Fly ... Do It For DRWF!
Fundraise with us
Recent News
