Eli Lilly to market Taisho’s diabetes drug

The company has secured the rights to develop and market the oral DPP-IV inhibitor, known as TS-021, which is currently in phase I clinical development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Under terms of the agreement, Lilly will market the product worldwide, except in Japan and China. Taisho will manufacture the bulk active ingredient of TS-021 and may help to promote the drug in the US and other designated countries.

TS-021 works by inhibiting an enzyme responsible for breaking down a human hormone that stimulates the body to produce insulin, which in turn helps to maintain blood sugar levels.

“TS-021 will further diversify our robust diabetes pipeline and may represent a new treatment option for patients with type 2 diabetes,” said Jose Caro, vice president of endocrine research and clinical investigation for Lilly. “New treatment options along the entire continuum of care are vital to combat the growing epidemic of this progressive disease, which is expected to double in the next 20 years.”

Type 2 diabetes, which is thought to affect 90-95% of diabetes sufferers, is a disorder caused by a lack of insulin supplied by the body or when the body cannot utilize the insulin it makes.