Patients implanted with GI Dynamics Inc.’s (ASX:GID) EndoBarrier weight-loss device experienced a bonus in reduction in some hormonal imbalances associated with diabetes, usually within days, researchers said.
Among 17 obese patients with Type II diabetes who were treated with the EndoBarrier device, all showed rapid and increased insulin sensitivity, a normalized glucose response and other hormonal changes that allowed all but one to eliminate or reduce the need for anti-diabetic medications after 24 weeks.
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On average, patients also lost about 30 percent of their excess weight.
"Our data show that treatment with the EndoBarrier affects key hormones involved in insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and satiety, similar to the impact of gastric bypass, and these changes allow for rapid and sustained improvement in patients with Type II diabetes," lead investigator Dr. Charlotte de Jonge, who presented the results at the European Assn. for the Study of Diabetes & Obesity meeting, said in prepared remarks. "In addition, we found that patients maintained diabetic improvements at the end of the follow-up period, one week post-removal. These are important findings in understanding how the EndoBarrier works to treat type 2 diabetes."
It’s good news for GI Dynamics, whose stock has been sliding ever since its initial public offering on the Australian market débuted at $1.07 Sept. 7. Share prices sank 13 percent on the first day and have closed lower every day since, falling another 3 percent to 78 cents in afternoon trading today.
The Lexington, Mass.-based company’s device is a plastic sleeve inserted endoscopically into the small intestine, where it slows the uptake of nutrients from food to induce weight loss and help control the symptoms of diabetes. The device won Australian approval for the treatment of Type II diabetes in July.
GI Dynamics won a CE Mark for the device in Dec., 2009, covering six months of treatment. The CE Mark was extended to 12 months of treatment in Oct., 2010.
A series of clinical studies in 2009 showed that patients treated with the EndoBarrier reduced their average blood glucose levels, lowered other diabetic factors including fasting blood glucose and weight and helped morbidly obese patients lose significant amounts of weight.