Mubadala funds UK trial of coronavirus drug for diabetics

Mubadala Healthcare will help fund a UK trial of a drug that could help people with diabetes beat Covid-19.

Known as Arcadia, the trial is taking place after research suggested that a glucose kinase activator could be helpful by limiting the overactive immune response seen in patients with raised blood-glucose levels.

The trial began in September and involves patients with mild to moderate Covid- 19 symptoms. At a coronavirus briefing in June, Dr Amna Al Shamsi, official spokeswoman for the UAE government, revealed that 40 per cent of Covid-19 deaths in the country were linked to diabetes and urged the public to pay more attention to groups at risk.

The American Diabetes Association said patients infected with Covid-19 were likely to have more serious complications than those without underlying health conditions.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, 18 per cent of people in the UAE have diabetes.

“We are delighted to be involved in this collaboration as it has great potential benefit for the UAE,” said Abdulla Al Shamsi, head of Mubadala Healthcare.

“There are more than one million people living with diabetes in our country, and this group is identified as being particularly vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19.”

The level of funding provided by Mubadala Healthcare was not revealed. The compound used in the UK research was initially developed by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for another purpose, but then the biomedical research charity St George Street Capital discovered its immune-dampening effects.

As a result, agreements were signed whereby SGS has the right to conduct the clinical trials.

The trial will be conducted by Excalibur Medicines, Mubadala Healthcare, several private partners and the UK government.

“All of us supporting this trial recognise this drug has the potential to make a huge difference to people with diabetes who are unfortunate enough to contract coronavirus, and we foresee a significant impact on the level of fatalities in the future,” said Excalibur founder Prof Sir Chris Evans.

“Treatments such as this could be vital as we are likely to be living with this virus for some time to come.”