Local firm gets $500,000 grant for human trials of diabetes drug

A local biotechnology firm has received a $500,000 federal grant to further its research into a treatment for juvenile diabetes, the company announced Wednesday.

The funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will allow Charleston-based ImmunoMod LLC to start the first human patient trials of its diabetes drug at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Under FDA rules, such tests can't be performed in the same location as the research facility.

"This is a pivotal step" in eventually getting the drug to market, said company spokeswoman Clare Morris.

Founded in 2006, ImmunoMod is a Medical University of South Carolina spin-off that is developing treatments for diabetes and related immune system disorders.

The company's main focus is treating juvenile, or Type 1, diabetes.

The founders include MUSC pediatric physicians Lyndon Key, chair of the hospital's pediatric department, and Inderjit Singh, scientific director of the Children's Research Institute at MUSC.

Their partner in the venture is Charleston businessman Bob Faith, former state Commerce secretary and chief executive officer of Charleston-based investment firm Greystar Real Estate Partners. Faith's daughter has juvenile diabetes.

The partners could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Nearly 20,000 Americans, mostly children, are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes each year.

The disease is a chronic immune system condition that robs the body of insulin, which is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy required for daily life.

It starts when insulin-producing "beta cells" in the pancreas can no longer keep glucose levels stable.

Within a few years, those cells can lose their ability to function.

Patients typically must have regular insulin injections to keep symptoms in check.

Complications of the disorder can include heart disease, blindness, nerve damage and kidney damage, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Existing juvenile diabetes treatments tend to slow the destruction of beta cells but have provided only temporary results, caused toxic side effects and required continuous treatment, according to a statement from ImmunoMod.

The Charleston biotech firm's treatment appears to safely protect beta cells for long periods, the company said.

The goal is to slow or reverse the destruction of those cells during the "honeymoon phase," a six-month period when the cells first begin to lose function.

Reach Caroline Fossi at 937-5524 or cfossi@postandcourier.com.