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Researchers at CSIR-IICT working on new diabetic drug to regulate glucose
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A Raju, Hyderabad
June 18 , 2017
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A team of scientists and researchers from Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT)
at Hyderabad have embarked on developing a new drug to regulate glucose
effectively and help the diabetic patients from the hassles of gulping
regular pills.
According to Dr S Chandrasekhar, Director of
CSIR-IICT, a team of scientists from IICT are working on a new structure
to bring out a better diabetic drug for the last eight years. As part
of their research the scientists have found promising results so far and
have completed all the pre-requirements for phase I trials.
Dr
Saibal Das, senior scientist, who is working on the development of the
new drug, said that they would soon start the structure activity
studies. “Presently, patients pop a pill every day. To overcome these
medical inconveniences for the patients, we are working towards making a
potential candidate that can work for a week. We are developing
inhibitors that will sit on PPP-4 compound protein and regulate glucose
level,” said Dr Saibal Das.
The scientists explained that DPP-4
inhibitors work by blocking the action of DPP-4, an enzyme which
destroys incretin. Incretins help the body produce more insulin. IICT
scientists have been working with biologists from different countries
towards increasing the half life of the compound. This means the time
taken by the drug to be active in the body.
The researchers
revealed that results so far have been promising. The timeline for a
drug discovery is a minimum of 15 years. IICT scientists have passed the
half-way stage. Dr Chandrasekhar says, “We are forging ahead with
several collaborations with institutes from across the world and the
industry interface too is looking up. This new structure could be a boon
for diabetic patients.”
He further said, “The Natural Product
Division of IICT takes inspiration from natural products and comes out
with new structures. The impetus is to expand ties with institutes
across the world for mutual benefit in medicinal as well as chemical
technology.”
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