Metabolon, Inc. is partnering with the European Group for the Study of Insulin Resistance (EGIR) to accelerate pre-diabetes diagnosis development.
Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, Metabolon specializes in analyzing complex biological samples for the discovery of markers and pathways associated with drug action and disease. Metabolon will analyze large numbers of biological samples taken by EGIR at clinical research centers across Europe as part of EGIR's effort to understand insulin resistance and how it affects disease.
Biomarkers from these samples that relate to insulin resistance will be used to further develop Metabolon's diagnostic test for pre-diabetic patients. Insulin resistance, one of the primary contributors to type 2 diabetes, is estimated to affect about one-third of the adult population in the U.S. alone - approximately 75 million people.
"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."