Category: research

Exciting new study aiming to delay type 1 diabetes is launching in Australia soon

An exciting new study aiming to delay the progression of type 1 diabetes is launching soon in Australia

This heralds an important time to consider screening family members for the early markers of type 1 diabetes (islet autoantibodies)

Photo credit Breakthrough T1D
Two new trials investigating baricitinib to delay T1D – Breakthrough T1D

In a landmark move for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, Eli Lilly and Company has announced the launch of two new global phase 3 clinical trials testing baricitinib, an oral medication aiming to delay or slow type 1 diabetes progression.

Baricitinib, is a medication known as a JAK inhibitor. It is already approved for autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. The tablet targets overactive immune pathways while also protecting insulin-producing beta cells. The therapy gained attention after the Australian BANDIT trial—funded by Breakthrough T1D and led by Professor Tom Kay and our own Prof John Wentworth at St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI) in Melbourne—showed that baricitinib helped people recently diagnosed with T1D maintain their own insulin producing cells and spend more time in target glucose range.

Now, Lilly’s BARICADE program will build on that success with two key studies:

  • BARICADE-DELAY: testing whether baricitinib can prevent or delay the onset of T1D in people at high risk (stage 2).
  • BARICADE-PRESERVE: testing whether it can preserve beta cell function in people newly diagnosed with T1D (stage 3).

Both trials are double-blind, placebo-controlled, and will begin recruiting participants aged 1–36 years soon.

💬 “We’re thrilled that Lilly is advancing clinical research with baricitinib,” said Dr. Sanjoy Dutta, Chief Scientific Officer at Breakthrough T1D. “This brings us one step closer to making it available for people with type 1 diabetes.”

💬 Professor Kay added, “Baricitinib maintained insulin production for a year in our trial—a very exciting outcome. We hope the BARICADE studies confirm this and lead to real-world use for people with or at risk of type 1 diabetes.”

A smiling man in a suit with a light blue shirt and striped tie, set against a neutral gray background.
Prof Tom Kay, SVI, Melbourne

👉 Why it matters: Baricitinib represents a potentially game-changing, once-daily oral therapy that could preserve the body’s own insulin production—reducing the daily burden of T1D and improving long-term outcomes.

Thanks to JDRF!

Thanks to JDRF!

Sincere thanks to JDRF for funding an additional year of Type1Screen operations.

With this funding we aim to:

  • ensure 1000 family members of those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes are screened over the next 12 months, and
  • facilitate participation in the latest international monitoring guidelines for those identified to be in early stage type 1 diabetes (stage 1 – where islet autoantibodies signal an attack on the insulin producing cells of the pancreas; and stage 2 – blood glucose levels become erratic).

Click here to access the June 2024 “Consensus guidance for monitoring individuals with islet autontibody positive pre-stage 3 type 1 diabetes.” This consensus report was endorsed by JDRF International.

Congratulations Dr John Wentworth

Congratulations Dr John Wentworth

Dr John Wentworth accepting his Finalist Award

Congratulations to Dr John Wentworth on becoming a Finalist in the 2023 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards. He was nominated for the “Celebrating Innovation in Healthcare” Award. What did he win the award for? The very at home blood testing kit for type 1 diabetes that we offer through Type1Screen.

World Diabetes Day 2023

World Diabetes Day is 14th November every year (marking Sir Frederick Banting’s birthday – the scientist who is most famously credited for discovering insulin).

On this day in 2023, Diabetes Australia launched a campaign “Diabetes Research Changes Lives”. Type1Screen’s Dr John Wentworth features in their promotional video talking about the home testing kit for type 1 diabetes screening.

You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/K_L_Td3KW3g

You can also go to the Diabetes Research Changes Lives website for more information and to perhaps sign the petition calling for more funding for diabetes research.

Community Engagement Panel – ATIC

Community Engagement Panel Members sought for ATIC

The Australasian Type 1 Diabetes Immunotherapy Collaborative (ATIC) brings together researchers, clinicians and advocates to identify and create immunotherapy clinical trial opportunities for people at every age and every stage of type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Supported by JDRF Australia, ATIC is led by St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI) in Melbourne and involves multiple major type 1 diabetes centres across Australia and New Zealand.

Core to ATIC’s success is involvement of the broader type 1 diabetes community – people living with the condition, their families and advocates. People with first-hand experience of T1D are sought to join the ATIC Community Engagement Panel.

If you’re passionate about improving the lives of people with type 1 diabetes through immunotherapy research and ultimately treatments to delay and prevent T1D, don’t miss your chance to be a part of this exciting opportunity.

Applications are being accepted until COB Friday 2 December.

More information is available on the ATIC website:

https://atic.svi.edu.au/news-events/community-engagement-panel-calling-for-expressions-of-interest/

Screening for Type 1 Diabetes decreases ketoacidosis and preserves beta cell function

Screening for Type 1 Diabetes decreases ketoacidosis and preserves beta cell function

A recent paper authored by our lead Type1Screen clinicians has demonstrated clearly that screening relatives for Type 1 Diabetes decreases ketoacidosis and preserves beta cell function for those in identified in the earliest stages of T1D.

You can read the full paper here and listen to John Wentworth being interviewed about it here.

Thanks to the amazing McCaughley Family for supporting the bloodspot screening program by getting their whole family tested and sharing the experience online and via the Herald Sun.

100 registrations!

Type1Screen registers 100 participants!

Type1Screen has registered its 100th participant via our new online portal.

The portal was launched on July 28th 2022. Our very first registrant joined August 18th 2022.

We are really pleased and thankful for the community uptake of this initiative.

If there is type 1 diabetes in your family, and you wish to get screened for your risk of the condition, you can register here.

Anyone aged 2 years or older with a family history of type 1 diabetes, and living in Australia or New Zealand, is eligible for this free screening test.

These two siblings participated in Type1Screen because their mum has Type 1 Diabetes.

How do I do a blood spot test?

How do I do a blood spot test?

So you have a family member diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and you’ve heard about the new and easy finger prick blood spot test you can do at home. This test will help to assess your, or your child’s, risk for type 1 diabetes.

OK, it sounds easy, but can I really do it myself at home?

Dr John Wentworth will show you how in this short video.

Type1Screen has made screening simple

Edward proudly showing his bandaid after his fingerprick test

Type1Screen is entering a really exciting phase.

We have just rolled out finger prick tests that families can perform at home and mail back to our lab. Our new antibody assay allows us to get a result back to families a little sooner than the standard assay based on a formal blood collection.

Early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is really important. It allows us to monitor children for signs of progression and, if this occurs, to start insulin injections in good time and prevent serious illness, which currently affects a third of our children. Not all positive screens progress quickly and in many cases we have time to offer opportunities to join immunotherapy prevention studies.

We really hope that the blood spot screening test will make it much easier for families to access screening, particularly those living in regional communities.

If you would like to see just how simple it is to get screened, please contact us to receive a kit to use at home. If you want to help us spread the word about this program, please tag us online @Type1Screen.

Ultimately, we want to make screening accessible to every Australian child. Type1Screen will take us closer to this goal by demonstrating to the world that we can perform cheap and accurate screening in a timely manner and at scale.

Brave Maeve did a fingerprick test at home with help from her mum

Trial for new T1D diagnosis

IMPACT Study for those newly diagnosed with T1D

Type1Screen is supporting the enrolment of young adults with a recent diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) to a new drug trial. This randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-centre clinical trial will evaluate the treatment of the Imotope™ IMCY-0098 and its effect on the preservation of beta-cell function in people with a recent onset T1D.

Aim

The study aims to investigate the effect of two doses of IMCY-0098 upon treatment-specific biomarkers and the effect of study medication on beta-cell function in adults with recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes.

Eligibility to take part

  • Aged 18 to 44 years
  • Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (first insulin treatment) within 9 weeks of study screening visit.

How do I take part?

  • Contact Type1Screen via
    • email type1screen@mh.org.au
    • phone (03) 9342 7063