With several companies working feverishly to expand diabetes-related revenue and products, a diabetes vaccine is expected to hit shelves this decade, according to Kalorama Information, an independent research firm in the life sciences field that recently published a survey entitled “What’s Next in Vaccines? HIV, Malaria, Rabies, MRSA and 30 Other Vaccine Targets in the 2010-2020 Pipeline.”
Currently, there are at least seven different diabetes vaccines being developed. Most of them are for Type 1 diabetes and are in Phase I testing, meaning they have a long way to go before being considered for the public, if they ever are. However, Diamyd Medical, a Swedish company is conducting a Phase III trial of 640 kids recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes to see if their vaccine can halt or slow the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells. The company claims its Phase II trial results show that those given the vaccine shortly after diagnosis have a much better diabetes status compared the a group given a placebo.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks and destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Insulin is the hormone that regulated sugar levels in the blood. Without the insulin-producing cells, people with Type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times each day.
For drug companies, a diabetes vaccine could be a real boost to the bottom line, according to Kalorama. The firm predicts the markets for such a vaccine could hit $100 million by 2012 and $2.4 billion by 2020.
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