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Home > News & events > News > JDRF-funded clinical trial drug slows type 1 diabetes in young people
An existing drug, called verapamil slowed the progression of type 1 diabetes in newly diagnosed children and adolescents in a clinical trial funded by Breakthrough T1D UK. This breakthrough brings us closer to our goal of having disease-modifying therapies widely available for people with type 1 diabetes.
The clinical trial – known as the CLVer trial, published in this paper – found that a daily tablet of verapamil slowed the rate of insulin-producing beta cell destruction in young people newly diagnosed with type 1 a year after their diagnosis. This was measured by C-peptide levels, which were 30% higher in the group who were given verapamil than the control group who received a non-active placebo.
Dr Sanjoy Dutta, Chief Scientific Officer of JDRF International, said: “Safe, effective therapies are urgently needed to delay disease progression in people recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, an area of high priority for JDRF. The CLVer study is the second trial showing that verapamil, an inexpensive and widely used blood pressure medication, can preserve beta cells in the new onset period, making us one step closer to our goal of having disease-modifying therapies widely available for people with type 1 diabetes.”
The JDRF-funded researchers randomly split their young participants into two groups. One group received a verapamil pill to take once a day for a year and the other group took a daily placebo pill. The researchers calculated what dose of the drug to give each participant depending on their weight, so smaller children were given a lower dose.
Throughout the study, the participants gave blood samples to measure their HbA1c as well as taking two-hour mixed-meal tolerance tests to measure their C-peptide levels. The participants also wore continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and the data from these was used to determine their percentage of time their blood glucose levels were in the target range.
The clinical trial involved 88 children aged 8 – 17 years. All participants started taking verapamil within 31 days of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
The Ver-A-T1D Study – part of the JDRF-funded Type 1 Diabetes Immunotherapy Consortium is recruiting participants across England and Wales. To take part, you must be aged 18-44 years who were diagnosed with type 1 in the last six weeks. The study involves taking a verapamil tablet once a day for a year.
Access more information about Ver-A-T1D and get involved.
Verapamil is an existing drug used to treat high blood pressure. It is available on the NHS to treat heart conditions like angina (chest pain) and irregular heart rate by improving blood flow to the heart.
The researchers checked their participants’ blood pressure, heart health and liver function throughout the study as these are known side effects of verapamil. The researchers described the drug as ‘well tolerated’, meaning most of them didn’t experience any of these side effects.
In 2018, results were published showing verapamil increased C-peptide levels in a small clinical trial of adults newly diagnosed with type 1.
We have awarded the researchers a grant to monitor the participants in this trial for another three years to see if the benefits to C-peptide levels continue. We are also funding a researcher called Professor Colin Dayan in the UK to test whether giving people newly diagnosed with type 1 verapamil and teplizumab could be even more effective. Read more about Colin’s research project.
Clinical trials are an important part of research. They are how researchers make sure treatments are safe and effective. Find out more about what clinical trials are and how you can join one.
We focus on investing in research that will transform the lives of people with type 1 diabetes – improving treatments today until we find a cure.
Learn about the latest cutting-edge research that JDRF is funding to find better treatments and an eventual cure for type 1 diabetes.
In an historic advancement in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) today approves hybrid closed loop for the majority of people living with type 1 diabetes in England and Wales.
World-first clinical trial finds drug can suppress progression of type 1 diabetes in people newly diagnosed
The research, which was co-funded by JDRF, reveals that drugs that target the immune system offer very effective and rapid improvements in stabilising blood sugar levels, often within just three months.
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