Metabolon, leading diabetes researcher partner for test development

Research Triangle Park, N.C. — Metabolon will work with an award-winning researcher to develop pre-diabetes diagnostic products, the company said Tuesday.

Ralph DeFronzo, MD and a specialist in diabetes, will work with Metabolon in an attempt to discover biomarkers related to diabetes. DeFronzo, who teaches at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, recently received the Banting Award, which is the most prestigious honor given by the American Diabetes Association.

“Metabolon’s global biochemical discovery platform will shed light on the biochemical changes related to increasing insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction which contribute to the development of diabetes,” DeFronzo said in a statement.

DeFrnzo’s research has focused on type 2 diabetes as well as insulin resistance syndrome.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Metabolon has developed patented technology around metabolomics (an approach to identifying biomarkers) that it says will "dramatically impact drug discovery and development processes." Metabolomics is the study of small molecules, such as glucose and cholesterol that are produced by cellular metabolism. The metabolome is the catalog of those molecules in a specific organism.

The technology can be used to identify safer compounds for drug development and thus shorten time to market. Metabolon also says biomarkers can indicate an early presence of a disease.

Metabolon will analyze samples gathered from studies by DeFronzo and others at the UT school for biomarkers that are “reflective of insulin resistance” and also indicate dysfunction of certain cells.

“It is through collaborations like this one with Dr. DeFronzo’s team that Metabolon will be able to offer a unique diagnostic test that can help physicians to identify asymptomatic, pre-diabetic patients years before they become diabetic,” said John Ryals, Metabolon’s chief executive officer.

“With this never-before available information in hand, doctors can actively intervene with lifestyle modifications or drug therapies which may delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes," he added.

DeFronzo is deputy director of the Texas Diabetes Institute and a staff physician for the South Texas Veterans Health Care System in addition to his duties at UT. Over the past 36 consecutive years he has received funding support for research from the National Institutes of Health.