Potential Breakthrough in the Fight Against Type 1 Diabetes: Human Trials Begin for Groundbreaking New Drug

A promising new chapter is unfolding in the treatment of type 1 diabetes—and it's happening in Queensland, Australia. Researchers at the University of Queensland say they have begun world-first human clinical trials for a drug that could dramatically reduce the need for insulin injections—and potentially stop the disease in its tracks.

The new drug, known as ASITI-201, is the result of 25 years of research and development. For Brisbane mother-of-two Cecelia Wickstroem Giraldi, one of the first five participants in the clinical trial, this innovation couldn’t come soon enough. After developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy, her blood sugar levels never returned to normal. Last year, she became one of more than 120,000 Australians diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. “That can be a burden and that can be really difficult,” she told Nine.com.au.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the body mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. As a result, patients require lifelong insulin therapy just to survive. But ASITI-201 aims to treat the root cause of the disease, not just manage its symptoms.

“The current treatment is insulin, which really just replaces what’s wrong,” explained Professor Ranjeny Thomas, lead researcher at the University of Queensland. “Once we got to that point where we could potentially create something against the cause, we just went after it.”

In pre-clinical studies with mice, the drug has already shown significant success. Now in human trials, ASITI-201 is administered using proteins and cells from the pancreas—combined with vitamin D—to retrain the immune system. The goal? To stop the immune system from attacking the body’s own insulin-producing cells. “We’re trying to reduce the requirement for insulin by stopping that attack on the cells,” said Professor Thomas.

These early human trials are just the beginning. Researchers are actively recruiting 31 more participants to join the study. Eligible candidates must be over the age of 18 and have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within the past five years.

While there’s still a long road ahead, this groundbreaking research could be a game-changer for people living with type 1 diabetes—not just in Australia, but around the world. You can watch this news story on the 9 News Australia YouTube channel HERE.