BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The University of Alabama at Birmingham is set to begin a groundbreaking clinical trial of the drug Verapamil that medical researchers at the school proved can reverse the effects of diabetes in mice.
The study, which will be run by UAB’s Comprehensive Diabetic Clinic, will test to see if the drug can have the same effect on humans. The study aims to examine 52 volunteers between the ages of 19 and 45 years old and within three months of a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. UAB says the study should be completed within two and a half years.
“We hope this is a positive study. If it is a positive study, we want to know how big of an affect its has” Fernando Ovalle, M.D., the Director of UAB’s Comprehensive Diabetes Clinic told WIAT.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin, whereas Type 2 occurs when the body cannot properly use it. On average, more than 18,000 children are diagnosed with Type 1 a year and at least one of three adults will develop Type 2 in their lifetime.
Since UAB discovered the effects that Verapamil could have on mice in 2014, many other studies have replicated their results and strengthened their hypothesis.
UAB is nationally renown for its contributions to the field of medicine. The cancer treatment at the University Hospital is among the best in the country and the University has led the way in the medical field with many breakthrough studies.
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Additional statistics on diabetes in the U.S. can be seen in the CDC diagram below.
