Getting Smarter About Smart Insulin
JDRF is getting smarter about smart insulin.
They’re funding another round of Glucose-Reponsive Insulin research (explained in a webcast today) but this time they’re not handing over a lump sum; the Glucose-Responsive Insulin Prize will be offered in stages, with $100K for the “Ideation Challenge.”
Smart! A couple years ago, JDRF funded SmartCells‘ development of Smart Insulin, which made good progress. They completed proof-of-concept trials, moved into pre-clinical trials (happy mice!),
and were acquired by Merck in December of last year. Whither Smart Insulin, whose patent now belongs to Merck?
Comments scrolling by during the webcast expressed doubt about whether Merck would bring Smart Insulin to market. There’s some reason to be hopeful. Merck has two Type2 drugs (Janumet & Januvia) that lower insulin resistance: Smart Insulin would be a great complement, and the T2 market would ensure the financial incentive.
Back to JDRF’s GRI Prize: participants will transfer IP rights to JDRF, protecting the IP even if the company is acquired.
And they’re crowd-sourcing the idea (partnering with InnoCentive) – we can all get in on it!
You have till mid-November to submit your ideas (know a smart chemist?). Maybe Diabetes Mine can get in on the crowd-sourcing as well!
Hey, were you at the event at Microsoft last weekend? I was hoping to “randomly” run into you, haha! We were there, but just for the 2nd half of the day. Wish I was smart enough to come up with the way to make this…I would enjoy the prize $ as well as the benefits of the smart insulin for our kiddos!
Why was JDRF allowed to waste money on a drug only to be used to benefit Type 2 diabetes? I thought JDRF were solely for finding a cure for Type 1.
Smart insulin is actually being developed for Type 1, since insulin is what keeps T1 diabetics alive. Dosing correctly is incredibly difficult, since the body’s needs change constantly, and being wrong results in dangerous highs (= long-term complications) or dangerous lows (=potential death). Smart insulin would automatically dose correctly, resulting in normal (or very near normal) blood sugar. The results would be wonderfully close to a cure. JDRF is focused on finding a cure.
Insulin-dependent Type 2s could benefit as well, but not all Type 2s are insulin-dependent (most aren’t).
Hi
Is it just me that notices this or since Merck purchased the rights to smart insulin this research has just ‘died’ on the world wide web??
I’ve also noticed the smart insulin website has been removed as well – http://www.smartinsulin.com
Does anyone have any news about smart insulin?
Thanks
Sam
Merck posted an “Area of Interest” brief for partners interested in collaborating on glucose-sensitive insulin. Not exactly a roaring start, but something…
https://www.merck.com/licensing/areas-of-interest/diabetes_obesity.html