MBX-2982
Early Development for Diabetic Hypoglycemia
MBX-2982, an agonist of G protein-coupled receptor (GPR119), is being evaluated in a Phase 2 proof-of-pharmacology trial for the treatment of diabetic hypoglycemia conducted by the AdventHealth Translational Research Institute in Orlando, Florida and is fully funded by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. CymaBay retains full commercial rights to MBX-2982. In published preclinical studies, GPR119 agonists were shown to enhance glucagon secretion from human pancreatic islets in response to low glucose levels. They were able to prevent insulin-induced hypoglycemia via a glucagon response in animal models. To confirm these findings in patients with type 1 diabetes, MBX-2982 is in a Phase 2a proof-of-pharmacology study to determine whether the drug can enhance glucagon secretion during insulin-induced hypoglycemia in subjects with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Glucagon is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that naturally reverses hypoglycemia by signaling the body to release stored glucose. This process can become defective in individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes, such as T1D. If left uncorrected, hypoglycemia can lead to unconsciousness or death. Preventing episodes of hypoglycemia in persons with diabetes is an unmet medical need: according to the 2016 global HAT study of 27,000 people, 4 out of 5 individuals with T1D reported hypoglycemia, with a rate of severe hypoglycemia (requiring the assistance of another person) of approximately five events per patient-year.