Lexaria Bioscience announces interim results from diabetes animal study

Lexaria Bioscience has received 4-week and 8-week blood glucose results from ongoing animal study WEIGHT-A24-1. DehydraTECH-liraglutide and two DehydraTECH-CBD formulations were the top performers in the Study at day 56, with blood sugar level reductions of 2.50%, 1.90% and 1.53% respectively. This appears to support Lexaria’s belief that DehydraTECH-CBD may have utility, especially if used together with a GLP-1 drug, in diabetic control. Animal testing of combination DehydraTECH-CBD with DehydraTECH-GLP-1 drugs is ongoing and in the final phases of the Study. For context, in Lexaria’s diabetic animal study DIAB-A22-1 reported on March 2, 2023, the obese control group of animals that received no treatment experienced 16.7% blood sugar concentration increases, relative to baseline by day 56 of that study. In the current Study, each of the 8 active groups of animals either experienced a smaller increase, or an actual decrease in blood sugar level relative to baseline as compared to the obese control group in the previous study. Interestingly, none of the animals receiving semaglutide experienced actual decreases by day 56 although some decreases were observed at day 28.The continued relative outperformance of DehydraTECH liraglutide is extremely interesting, in part because of Lexaria’s proprietary DehydraTECH technology and its applicability to GLP-1 molecules. In other human studies, semaglutide tends to outperform liraglutide in blood sugar control, when not processed with DehydraTECH. Liraglutide is currently available commercially by Novo Nordisk sold under the brand names Victoza and Saxenda, but the related patents have begun to expire and open the door to new competitors. For example, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries recently launched the first generic injectable version of this GLP-1 drug. Although liraglutide was administered as an oral DehydraTECH-enabled dose in this Study, it is currently only sold and prescribed as a subcutaneous injection. The Study is ongoing and additional results are expected soon.