June 25, 2013, GlaxoSmithKline ( GSK ) recently presented data from five phase III studies (Harmony 1 to 5) on its once-daily diabetes candidate, albiglutide at the 73rd scientific session of American Diabetes Association.
In the five Harmony studies, albiglutide demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing HbA1c, an indicator of glucose level in the blood, versus placebo and/or active comparators (including insulin, a sulphonylurea, a thiazolidinedione and a dipeptidyl peptidase four inhibitor) after 1-2 years. The candidate met the primary efficacy endpoint in these studies.
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Albiglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist (GLP-1 agonist) drug under investigation by GlaxoSmithKline for treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4-resistantglucagon-like peptide-1 dimer fused to human albumin.
Albiglutide has a half-life of four to seven days, which is considerably longer than the other two GLP-1 analogs approved for market use, exenatide (Byetta) and liraglutide (Victoza).[1][2] GLP-1 drugs are currently only available for subcutaneous administration on a daily basis, so a GLP-1 drug with a longer half-life is desirable. Such a drug would only need to be injected biweekly or weekly instead of daily, reducing the discomfort and inconvenience of GLP-1 administration considerably.
It has not yet been determined whether albiglutide is as effective an antidiabetic agent as GLP-1 drugs currently on the market, and final data remain to be published regarding the incidence of adverse effects related to the drug. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the drug, albiglutide is undergoing eight Phase III clinical trials.
