Slowing down diabetes in newly diagnosed patients: the CD3-antibody STUDY

Study with CD3 antibodies

A previous study with a CD3 antibody has shown that patients receiving the antibody maintained a higher insulin production as compared to those patients receiving the placebo. The latter had to increase their insulin dose gradually to maintain an optimal glucose control. Patients treated with the antibody kept their insulin dose as low as shortly after diagnosis. These CD3 antibodies were not available for a long time. Recently, a new CD3 antibody was produced with the aim to work out a routine treatment for type 1 diabetes and to commercialise it.

Type 1 diabetes results from a major reduction in the number of insulin producing beta cells. A specific type of white blood cells destroys beta cells. The antibody used in this study, the CD3-antibody, was developed to block these white blood cells, disarm them, rendering them incapable of destroying beta cells.