Metabolon Announces Collaboration with the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance
Partnership to Accelerate Pre-Diabetes Diagnostic Development
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(Business Wire)--
Metabolon, Inc., the leader in metabolomics-driven biomarker
discovery and analysis, announced today a collaboration with the
European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR). The EGIR
has compiled large numbers of biological samples from studies
conducted at 19 clinical research centers across Europe as part of
their effort to understand insulin resistance and how it affects
disease. Metabolon will discover and validate the biomarkers found in
these samples that relate to insulin resistance. These markers will be
used to help further develop Metabolon's diagnostic test for
pre-diabetic patients.
"This collaboration with EGIR will help Metabolon accelerate the
development of Quantose(TM) IR, our diagnostic test for better
screening of pre-diabetic patients," remarked Dr. John Ryals,
president and CEO of Metabolon. "This routine test will help identify
pre-diabetic patients years before they become diabetic. With this
information in hand, doctors can intervene with lifestyle or drug
therapies which may delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes."
Insulin resistance is a condition where the body's tissues are
less responsive to insulin, the hormone that controls blood glucose
levels and its metabolism. Insulin resistance is associated with
people who are overweight, physically inactive or have other metabolic
risk factors such as high blood pressure and dyslipidemia.
Insulin resistance is estimated to affect about one-third of the
adult population in the U.S. alone--approximately 75 million people.
Known as one of the primary contributors to the development of type 2
diabetes, insulin resistance is characteristically an asymptomatic
condition that precedes the development of diabetes by many years.
People with insulin resistance may appear healthy, however if
undetected and unmanaged, insulin resistance can lead to long-term
chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
"We are excited to be working with Metabolon in analyzing our
samples," said Dr. Ele Ferrannini, principal investigator at the
University of Pisa and coordinator of the EGIR's Relationship between
Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Disease (RISC) project. "Their
biomarker discovery platform will give us valuable insight into the
biochemical changes related to insulin resistance."
About Metabolon
Metabolon is a diagnostics and services company offering the
industry's leading biochemical profiling platform. Metabolon's
patented platform provides a global analysis of complex biological
samples for the discovery of markers and pathways associated with drug
action and disease. This metabolomics-driven approach enables the
identification of biomarkers useful for the development of a wide
range of diagnostics and provides insight into complex biochemical
processes such as drug action, toxicology and bioprocess optimization.
For more information about Metabolon, please visit www.metabolon.com.
About EGIR
The European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR) is a
multi-disciplinary group of investigators with different research
backgrounds--epidemiology, endocrinology, basic science and public
health--interested in insulin resistance. The first combined activity
of the group was a data-pooling project from hyperinsulinemic
euglycemic clamp experiments performed in 21 centers across Europe.
This unique database has now produced 11 publications. EGIR holds
annual meetings in different European cities, each hosted by one of
its members. Presentations are given by members of the group and by
invited speakers working in the field of insulin resistance and
related subjects. In 2001 the EGIR project Relationship between
Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Disease (RISC) was awarded
funding by the European Commission to carry out a project examining
the effects of insulin resistance in healthy people (without diabetes
or hypertension). The project started in 2002 and the three-year
follow up examinations are in the process of being completed. The
project has produced seven publications and more are in
preparation. For more information on EGIR and RISC, see www.egir.org.
Metabolon, Inc.
Lorra Gosselin, 919-287-3380
lgosselin@metabolon.com
www.metabolon.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
