Strong data for Generex' type 1 diabetes diagnostic

Canada's Generex Biotechnology Corp says that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Antigen Express, has reported strong data at the 66th annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held in Washington DC.

Investigators described the potential of Antigen Express' technology to more sensitively and accurately diagnose patients with type 1 diabetes, which could lead to the identification of high-risk subjects. Using fragments of the insulin protein modified by AE's proprietary Ii-Key technologies, the firm says it was possible to detect T helper immune cells in the peripheral blood of some patients with recent-onset type 1 diabetes that had developed an aberrant autoimmune response to insulin.

Given that the clinical management of diabetics is different depending on whether or not there is a specific autoimmune response, this technology offers hope for earlier intervention that could prevent some of the long-term debilitating effects of diabetes, the firm stated.