As part of the agreement, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) will provide $1 million in first-year funding to support preclinical safety and efficacy testing. The partnership is structured to support milestone-based funding through proof-of-concept human clinical trials.
Under the terms of the partnership, the $1 million dollars of funding will support testing the safety and efficacy of SmartInsulin in preclinical type 1 diabetes trials. The partnership is intended to accelerate its development and reduce the time needed to progress to human testing.
SmartInsulin will be a once-a-day, glucose-regulated subcutaneous insulin formulation for treating diabetes. SmartInsulin is injectable, like currently available insulins, but designed to maintain continuous, tight control of blood glucose levels while reducing the risk of hypoglycemia, the company said.
Aaron Kowalski, metabolic control program director of JDRF, said: “JDRF is committed to supporting the development of unique therapies that can improve metabolic control for people with type 1 diabetes. We believe that glucose-regulated insulin may represent a practical solution to the real needs of people with diabetes, and this collaboration illustrates our dedication to helping innovative companies test concepts and bring their products to patients faster.”