As 2024 begins, the biotechnology industry is full of exciting possibilities and driving scientific progress. This year is especially thrilling because many biotech companies are ready to make significant advancements to address global challenges.

Two major concerns are diabetes and obesity. Diabetes is on the rise and can lead to serious health problems like blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, strokes, and amputations. Obesity is also a growing issue worldwide, contributing to more cases of type 2 diabetes and putting extra pressure on our healthcare systems.

Diabetology Limited is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that has won awards for its work. They use a special oral delivery system to provide both established macromolecule drugs and new combinations to improve treatment for patients with diabetes and obesity. Insider Market Research is proud to highlight Diabetology in its latest issue.

A Path to Improved Well-Being

Diabetology focuses on delivering oral medications for metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity. The company is dedicated to improving the lives of people with diabetes, which currently affects about 10% of the population in various ways. Their innovative technology allows patients to take insulin and other protein drugs, like GLP1 RA, by mouth. This oral delivery method is not only more convenient for patients but also helps avoid some complications associated with the disease, without causing new side effects, leading to better overall health and well-being.

Diabetology works to create a better future for people with diabetes. A significant issue in society is how some individuals react to certain foods and drinks, which can lead to inflammation and result in insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, kidney problems, and even dementia. Currently, 42% of adults in the U.S. are obese, and the associated health issues place a heavy burden on healthcare systems worldwide.

However, diabetes and obesity are not just problems in the West; they are global challenges.

Targeted formulation technology helps develop safer, more effective, and efficient solutions to these issues. By using formulation algorithms, the company can identify safe ingredients that enhance the effectiveness of proteins and peptides, delivering them directly to the parts of the body where they are needed most to combat these diseases.

Innovative Solutions for Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetology addresses a common challenge for doctors: how to make insulin work better without causing side effects. The company has created Capsulin Oral Anti-Diabetic (OAD), an easy-to-swallow capsule that people with type 2 diabetes can take twice a day. This innovative delivery system allows insulin and other proteins, like GLP-1 RAs, to be taken orally, helping to bring more normalcy to the lives of diabetes patients. Dr. Roger New, Co-Founder of Diabetology, explains, “Our new oral delivery system works in harmony with how the pancreas and liver naturally manage glucose levels in our bodies.”

After thorough research, Dr. New developed a strong capsule formula that can withstand stomach acid and digestive enzymes in the upper intestine. This capsule improves insulin availability by being absorbed through the cells and specifically targeting the liver, where insulin primarily works. Capsulin OAD includes safe ingredients that activate gut cells, enabling insulin to pass through the intestinal lining and enter the liver’s portal vein. This new method greatly enhances insulin delivery consistently and without needing adjustments, which lowers the risk of low blood sugar compared to other methods like sublingual tablets, pumps, EpiPens, and subcutaneous injections that release high levels of insulin directly into the bloodstream.

Dynamic Professional Experience

Along with Dr. New, Glen Travers, the Co-founder of Diabetology, is leading the company’s growth. Glen has a strong background in medical devices, oral vaccines, and developing biotechnology companies. He has a successful history in the biotechnology industry and is focused on bringing important products to market. Additionally, he has experience in corporate finance.

Glen has also served on the international board representing 1,000 European CEOs as a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), a global network for CEOs. YPO offers various courses and activities focused on leadership, management, health technology, artificial intelligence, self-learning, and holistic well-being.

Glen began his career with a Development Capital company in Western Australia, where he helped list the company, achieving a market capitalization of $700 million. The company invested in various industries, including engineering, fashion retail, leveraged buyouts (notably the $1 billion buyout of Beatrice International Group), pharmaceuticals, and life sciences research and development. They co-held royalties with Nobel Laureates for a breakthrough related to Helicobacter and developed the first oral vaccine for COPD called Broncostat, which was sold to a large pharmaceutical company. Eventually, the company shifted its focus to become a pure biotech firm specializing in oral drug delivery platforms, point-of-care diagnostics, and branded pharmaceuticals in the UK.

The Travers Family Office and Its Commitment to Health

After achieving earlier successes, Glen created the Travers Family Office to focus on their goals in metabolic health. He has been working closely with his Diabetology co-founder, Dr. Roger New, and has received strong support from his family, which includes two medical doctors, a clinical psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, and a natural sciences graduate from Cambridge University.

Glen’s leadership skills have earned him many awards and recognitions throughout his career. He was named E&Y Healthcare Entrepreneur of the Year in the EU, and his company was recognized as the best-performing company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) for three years, with a peak market capitalization exceeding $1 billion. His company launched various products, including treatments for blood pressure and gallstones, an oral vaccine for COPD (which was sold to Rhone Poulenc Rorer), and the first point-of-care diagnostic for bacterial infections (Helisal), which was licensed to companies like Boehringer Mannheim, Astra, and Becton Dickinson. They also provided the first evidence of oral insulin at Oxford Radcliffe Hospital for type 1 diabetics, among other projects.

The aim of Glen’s family office is to make a meaningful impact on the biotech industry, focusing on more than just profit. He was inspired to pursue these goals after witnessing his best friend’s father’s struggles with type 1 diabetes, which included deafness and amputations. This experience made him aware of the societal burden of metabolic diseases and motivated him to seek innovation in the field. One of the biggest challenges he faced was finding financial support for this costly industry and backing for new ideas and projects as he worked his way up.

Inspiring Future Leaders in Life Sciences

Glen reduces administrative costs by using virtual meetings, which allows for flexibility regardless of location and maximizes opportunities for sharing knowledge. He ensures that his leadership style is reflected in his team. Whenever possible, he collaborates with experts in their fields and encourages them to draw on their own inspiration and ambition to achieve meaningful goals.

Glen advises future leaders to be well-educated in their specific areas and suggests pursuing a Master’s degree in Biotechnology if they want to start life science companies. He encourages working with innovators to make a positive impact on patients. He believes that allowing for open-minded discussions is crucial to avoid overlooking important ideas, which fosters flexibility in conversations and working relationships.

Mitigating the Risk of Side Effects and Hypoglycemia – Using Natural Pathways 

Recent research by Diabetology has revealed important findings about Capsulin OAD, which addresses two major challenges in the industry: cost-effectiveness and reducing side effects. Capsulin oral insulin is delivered through the gut directly to the liver, which lowers the cost of medication and makes it more affordable. Additionally, this method eliminates the risk of hypoglycemia, a condition that can occur when injecting high levels of insulin into the bloodstream.

“A recent phase 2b study showed that our Capsulin delivery system is safe, with no instances of hypoglycemia or excessive insulin levels. This leads to positive effects on fasting plasma glucose, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and lipid levels, all without causing weight gain, which is important for cardiovascular health,” Glen explains.

The biopharmaceutical industry has a lot of potential for growth. One way to measure this is by looking at how much of a country’s GDP is spent on healthcare, which is now approaching 20% in the U.S. After the COVID crisis, healthcare institutions are becoming stronger, although some, including academic research organizations, are facing funding challenges that need attention. Key issues include the need for independent evaluation and support for research and development in life sciences to reduce development costs and improve treatment effectiveness for aging populations and rapidly growing resource-limited communities. Food companies should also be included in these discussions.

It’s crucial for us to stay vigilant and prepare for future health crises. There is information available that can provide early warnings of potential health threats, such as antibiotic resistance and the risk of new pandemics. However, a pressing issue in our increasingly debt-laden economies is the lack of funding for many research opportunities. Often, these projects have to wait for a crisis to arise before they receive urgent investment and support, which can lead to less effective responses to foreseeable health challenges.

An Era Ahead of AI Combined with Super-computing: Allowing Faster, Lower Cost Advancement for Disease Solutions  

The use of AI and supercomputing is helping to improve our understanding of diseases, enhance diagnosis, and speed up drug development. This leads to greater efficiency in advancing new technologies in the healthcare industry, offering exciting opportunities for better human health. Glen points out that developments in cell function, genetics, DNA, RNA, epigenetics, the microbiome, and neuroceuticals coming from research universities and the biopharma industry will result in improved health outcomes. These advancements could even help make treatments accessible to those who cannot afford them. It’s essential to share the benefits of these innovations beyond their countries of origin, so everyone can enjoy the advancements in healthcare.

At Diabetology, their innovative technology allows Capsulin to travel directly from the gut to the portal vein and then to the liver, helping to restore glucose control in the liver. This could reduce insulin resistance and improve how effectively glucose is managed. This capability could allow healthcare providers to use Capsulin OAD in the early stages of diabetes, as it has several positive effects, including the potential to preserve beta cell function and restore insulin production in exhausted islet cells. The co-founders are eager to see positive results from the upcoming phase 3 study of Capsulin OAD in clinical trials with patients who have Type 2 diabetes.

In a phase 2a study, patients showed how their bodies responded to glucose disposal during a glucose clamp test. The liver receptors quickly connected to the hormone, allowing the liver to manage glucose levels even when the patients had insulin resistance. The capsule reduces the risk of hyperinsulinemia, as it achieves the necessary biological effects without requiring high levels of insulin in the bloodstream.

Capsulin oral insulin Peer-Reviewed Publication of Phase 2b clinical study safe and effective; Preparing for FDA Phase 3 

Earlier animal trials have confirmed the ideal amount of protein that can be delivered to the liver through the oral capsule. These tests not only showed that Capsulin OAD is effective but also demonstrated its ability to prevent potential side effects that could occur if the hormone were injected into the bloodstream. In Diabetology’s phase 2b study, 100 patients received two doses per day. After 12 weeks, the results indicated significant improvements in key health markers, including lower HbA1c levels, reduced fasting plasma glucose, systolic blood pressure, and triglycerides. This peer-reviewed trial also reported no cases of hypoglycemia, even when the insulin dose was doubled, confirming the benefits of targeting the liver for glucose control with twice-daily fixed dosing without needing to adjust insulin levels.

Diabetology is also exploring an oral neuroceutical that could stimulate the vagus nerve’s satiety response to help treat obesity. Numerous studies have highlighted the effectiveness of Diabetology’s oral delivery system in efficiently delivering other active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. This has led to the development of a single daily dose capsule for a GLP-1 receptor agonist, as well as a combination of GLP-1 and insulin that has shown successful oral absorption in animal tests. This groundbreaking result for diabetes was recently presented at the American Diabetes Association.

The company is using its targeted oral capsule delivery system to direct GLP-1 receptor agonists to the gut, where L cells naturally produce GLP-1. The vagus nerve, which has GLP-1 receptors, signals the brain’s satiety centers and in turn prompts organs like the pancreas, stomach, and liver to release more insulin, improve glucose balance, and trigger feelings of fullness. This unique neuroceutical benefit seen in tests with both small and large animals suggests that once-daily and potentially once-weekly oral dosing of certain GLP-1 receptor agonists may be possible. These studies have shown high oral effectiveness with low blood levels, which could reduce side effects like nausea and vomiting by lowering the amount of drug that enters the bloodstream. This approach is moving into clinical trials soon, with the potential to help treat obesity.

With its groundbreaking achievements originating from the Travers Family Office, Diabetology plans to form strategic partnerships to develop new life-changing medications. This strategy aligns with the company’s goal to go beyond commercial interests and positively impact disadvantaged individuals and countries that lack access to transformative treatments.

Quote: 

“Our novel receptor targeting oral delivery system is physiologically consistent with how the pancreas and liver naturally control glucose disposal in our bodies.”