Hyundai Pharm presented the results of the phase 2 clinical trial of its innovative diabetes treatment, HD-6277, at the 84th American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions held at the Orlando Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., from last Friday to Monday.

HD-6277 is a first-in-class GPR40 agonist that activates GPR40 (G protein-coupled receptor 40) on pancreatic beta cells to induce insulin secretion and control blood glucose. It is characterized by posing no risk of hypoglycemia and not causing metabolic diseases, including sarcopenia, which are the most important considerations when choosing a diabetes drug, Hyundai Pharm said.

At the ADA meeting, Professor Lee Yong-ho from Severance Hospital said the phase 2 results confirmed excellent glycemic lowering effect and safety, including a 0.73 percent and 0.85 percent reduction in glycated hemoglobin, an important indicator for diabetes management, when HD-6277 50mg and 100mg were administered.

Hyundai Pharm completed phase 1 study of HD-6277 in Germany and received approval for phase 2 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, because of Covid-19, the company conducted phase 2 trial in Korea first.

"The announcement at the ADA session is meaningful as it confirms the excellent effectiveness of HD-6277 and its potential as a first-in-class drug," Hyundai Pharm CEO Lee Sang-joon said. "We will contribute to improving public health by developing next-generation diabetes drugs that can overcome the limitations in unmet needs, where only 25 percent of existing diabetes drugs reach target blood sugar levels."