Oral ''vaccines'' for diabetes and hepatitis B

[Menydh]

Oral ''vaccines'' for diabetes and hepatitis B

Biopeer
December 8, 2005

Diabetes and hepatitis B are among the biggest killers in South and South-east Asia and the need to find an effective solution to combat them has been high on the agenda of both governments and drug companies. The latest advancement in this regard is the announcement of the development of new vaccines by Transgene Biotek Ltd. These oral vaccines (to be administered as a liquid) are meant for insulin delivery and hepatitis B. They have been developed in collaboration with the pharmacology division of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad.

Per the results of the pre-clinical trials, for those suffering from diabetes, the drug will not only help reduce blood glucose levels comparable to that of the injectable insulin, but also lessen plasma insulin levels, and shall be effective for up to 24 hours. The 24-hour relief is noteworthy since it could help in decreasing the frequency at which insulin would be required to be administered to diabetics. Pre-clinical trials of the hepatitis B oral vaccine have shown the generation of antibody titres to a single dose of oral delivery comparable to that of injectable hepatitis B vaccine.

Although hepatitis B can infect anyone, Asians have the highest rate of hepatitis B infection of all ethnic groups. Two-thirds of all 400 million chronic carriers of the hepatitis B virus in the world live in Asia. In many Asian countries, approximately 10 per cent of the population is chronically infected with hepatitis B. In the United States, more than half of the 1.25 million chronic carriers of HBV are of Asian descent.

With the pre-clinical trials providing enthusing results, Transgene Biotek has decided to undertake the next stage of clinical trials in India and Europe simultaneously. If successful, the drug would be a landmark development, as it would considerably ease the difficulty of administering the vaccine to infants and children as well as lower costs, thus aiding in the control of the illnesses across the world.


[source]

[Menydh]

A comment to the article by a reader:

You're not calling oral insulin a "vaccine" are you? Vaccine implies that you are trying to generate a protective immune response against insulin. Perhaps you should reword that header a bit...

Oh well..

[Menydh]

Diabetes—a health risk of alarming proportions

Biopeer
December 5, 2005

With avian flu cornering the limelight, one of Asia’s biggest health scares, diabetes, seems to have taken somewhat of a backseat. Since the disease is neither acute nor contagious, the urgency in governments and drug companies has not yet set in, although it is estimated that Asia will lose millions of people to diabetes in the coming years.

In this crisis, it is the wisdom of the ancients that may emerge as the panacea for this deadly disease. For generations, the people of Southeast Asia have acknowledged the Mangosteen fruit for its multiple health benefits. Today this belief is being backed by the certainty of modern science. Various studies have revealed the extraordinary benefits of Mangosteen, due to the release of potent antioxidants called Xanthones by the fruit. The latest claim to hit the headlines is that XanGo, the whole fruit puree of Mangosteen fruit, may be reasonably successful in combating the disease.

Meanwhile, Australian pharma company BioDiem Ltd has announced that it will shortly be commencing Phase I and II clinical trials for its peptide BDM-E in patients with diabetic oedema. Nearly all patients who have Type-1 diabetes for more than a couple of decades are likely to develop diabetic retinopathy. The trial will test the ability of BDM-E to reduce the swelling that’s typical of diabetic retinopathy in the back of the eye, which often leads to significant vision loss.

With diabetes showing signs of registering an alarming increase, new and ancient wisdom will have to come together to combat it.


[source]