Toronto & Vancouver, Canada: Zucara Therapeutics Inc., a life sciences company developing the first once-daily therapeutic to prevent hypoglycemia in people with type 1 diabetes and other types of insulin-dependent diabetes, has secured a grant of $69,000 from Canadian Glycomics Network (GlycoNet) to expand and validate the model for its lead drug candidate “ZT-01” from type 1 diabetes (T1D) to type 2 diabetes (T2D). Zucara Therapeutics will match the funding with an additional $85,000 in cash and in-kind contributions, including scientific input, to advance this research.
Zucara’s lead drug candidate “ZT-01” is moving towards Phase 1 clinical trials in patients with T1D later this year, after demonstrating efficacy and safety validated in multiple preclinical models of hypoglycemia. This funding allows the company to show proof of concept in T2D with the aim of expanding the drug’s clinical trials into patients with T2D, which could ultimately more than double the patient benefit and market opportunity.
There are strong medical and economic drivers in reducing hypoglycemia. Patients with insulin-dependent diabetes are prone to hypoglycemia, and the continuous risk of severe hypoglycemia, which can be fatal, is linked with adverse vascular outcomes and dementia in T2D. It is also a cause of great anxiety for both patients and their family members.
“I would like to thank GlycoNet for their generous support to expand and validate Zucara’s drug therapy model to T2D. We are encouraged with the results achieved to date in T1D and are looking forward to the clinical trial phase. By expanding into clinical trials in those with T2D, we are closer to benefiting millions of patients around the world.”, said Michael Midmer, Chief Executive Officer, Zucara.
“GlycoNet’s support of strategic initiatives helps promote research translation. It allows researchers and industry partners like Zucara to focus their efforts on developing concrete solutions to pressing health issues affecting Canadians, including diabetes.” says Dr. Todd L. Lowary, Scientific Director of GlycoNet.
Dr. Michael Riddell, Chair, Clinical Advisory Board for Zucara and Professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science and Muscle Health Research Centre at York University said, “There is a tremendous unmet need to control hypoglycemia in type 1 and 2 diabetes patients. This grant is important because it will allow us to not only build on the work done to date for type 1 diabetes but also expand the potential therapy to meet needs of type 2 diabetes patients.”
About Zucara Therapeutics Inc.
Zucara is developing the first drug therapy to prevent hypoglycemia in people with diabetes. The Company’s first-in-class therapeutic is aimed at inhibiting a hormone in the pancreas called somatostatin, which does not function properly in diabetes. Preventing hypoglycemia will dramatically change diabetes disease management, improving both patient health and quality of life. Zucara Therapeutics is a spin-off of CDRD and MaRS Innovation based on technology that originated at the University of Toronto. www.zucara.ca
For additional information, please contact:
Julia White
Senior Manager, Communications
media@zucara.ca
Direct: 604.827.1226