New York: A new study has claimed that a drug, which is already approved for a skin disease, could help people with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes.
The drug named alefacept might preserve some function in the beta cells in the pancreas.
Lead researcher Dr. Mario Ehlers said that this was the first time that documented rates of hypoglycemia using standardised home glucometers in all patients had shown a reduction in major hypoglycemia events following an immune intervention in new-onset patients, the Health reported.
Ehlers added that this was important because frequent hypoglycemia was a common and serious complication in diabetes.
According to the researchers, when used early after diagnosis of diabetes, alefacept drug appears to hinder with the destructive T-cells, without affecting any other type of T-cell.
The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
