Diabetes breakthrough as miracle new skin patch could end jabs
Revolutionary breakthrough could put an end to daily insulin jabs endured by diabetes patients Patch can deliver insulin which can require multiple injections throughout the day
Many patients have to test their blood sugar several times a day, and need insulin jabs for the rest of their lives in order to maintain enough levels of the hormone. This affects daily life including work, sport and travel.
This was highlighted last month after tennis French Open organisers were forced to U-turn after telling German tennis star Alexander Zverev that he would have to inject himself with insulin during an off-court toilet break.
The world No 27 has type-1 diabetes and tennis bosses had tried to stop him injecting during his matches. It sparked backlash, with Zverev claiming his life would be in danger while a diabetes charity hit out at the decision.
Olympic legend Sir Steve Redgrave who won five rowing gold medals for Team GB at five consecutive Games has also revealed the difficulties in coping with diabetes after he was diagnosed with the condition in 1997 aged 35.
“My first thoughts were that my career was over. I didn’t think you could be a top athlete with that condition. But my consultant said ‘Why not?’
“When I was an athlete I was finger pricking my blood 10 times a day….it is a pain, day in and day out, to make sure that your blood sugar levels are under control and that does get hard to deal with at times.”
Experts believe many patients would have better glucose control if there was an easier way to take their insulin. Research suggests as many as one in three sufferers hide their condition from others and often fail to test their blood sugar levels or miss insulin jabs in case they draw attention to themselves.
For many years scientists have been looking for an alternative including an oral pill. However these attempts have failed.
Scientists say if successful in larger trials, the “transdermal patch” will revolutionise treatment of diabetes.
Drug-releasing skin patches are already widely used in hormone replacement therapy for the menopause and to help smokers quit. Most work by allowing the active drug to gradually ‘seep’ through the skin.
But this technology only works with drugs made up of small molecules. Getting bigger molecules, such as insulin, through the skin has been a major stumbling block.
The researchers have combined the insulin with other drug molecules that briefly open up the pores of the skin to allow the insulin through.
Government diabetes Tsar, Professor Partha Kar - who advises NHS England on treatment of the disease - said: “Insulin injections can be stressful but necessary for a lot of people with diabetes. Finding a different way to deliver this life saving drug would be a huge step forward. Research like this gives many living with diabetes hope for a different future. I look forward to seeing further data”
Prof Monika Bednorz, an expert in internal medicine at the University of Wroclaw, in southern Poland, said: “This is revolutionary and I hope it will become the future of diabetes treatment.
“Studies show a patch can be an effective way to deliver drugs especially insulin which can require multiple injections throughout the day affecting work, sport and daily activities. This insulin patch would be painless and discreet and research so far shows it could be very effective.”
So far trials carried out in laboratory studies and early studies have been carried out in humans.
Larger scale human studies are now planned and if these are successful it is hoped a patch will be on the market in three years.
Jan Hendriks, CEO of biotechnology manufacturers Biotts, which developed the new technology, said: “Patients with diabetes will be able to replace up to 20 insulin injections over a period of five days with a single patch that only needs to be worn for a few hours. Thus, patients will receive better and more comfortable treatment, without an increase in the cost of therapy, and without generating excess medical waste. This confirms that this state-of-the-art product can be a viable alternative for patients who are seeking non-invasive alternatives to diabetes treatment. The number of these patients is increasing every year. This is especially meaningful considering the impact this can have on children.”
Diabetes occurs when the pancreas either stops producing insulin altogether, or its output drops sharply. This can be linked to hereditary causes as well as environmental factors such as obesity and inactivity.
Insulin helps muscles absorb sugar from the blood to burn as a source of fuel. Without the right levels of insulin, the disease can cause irreversible damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, heart and major arteries.
