A UB researcher has received a grant to study a human hormone which can not only help patients with type 2 diabetes control their sugar levels but also lose weight.
Chemistry Professor Qing Lin is starting up Transira Therapeutics to potentially turn what is currently still lab research into a useable drug. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has given Transira a $224,000 grant.
"We're still at the stage, so-called pre-clinic. We're still trying to finalize the chemical composition of the therapy," Lin said. The drug will be tested on animals initially with the eventual hope of conducting human trials. That would require FDA approval.
Lin is working with a hormone which doesn't last long in the bloodstream and altering it to make it work against diabetes.
"Instead of simply taking what nature offers now, we're using chemistry to modify the structure such that it will show improved efficacy but also make this long lasting, so it will stay in the bloodstream far longer than minutes so that we don't have to inject so frequently," Lin explained.
Transira is now looking for office space and will be doing some small-scale hiring. UB has also put money into the project, from internal research development funds.
