Pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila said the company has received permission from the drug controller for phase I clinical trial of its anti-diabetic molecule.

Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved the clinical trial of molecule Zyogi, a novel Glucagon Like Peptide-1 (GLP -1) agonist, the Ahmedabad-based company said in a statement.

GLP-I agonists are used to treat people with type II diabetes who have not been able to control their blood sugar levels with oral medicines. It is an injectible which acts like the natural hormones in the body that lowers blood sugar.

However, the company said, Zyogi would represent a next generation GLP-1 agents as it could be taken orally. The drug demonstrated beneficial effects in preclinical models on glucose reduction, HbA1c reduction and showed an added benefit of weight loss, it added.

Zydus Cadila Chairman and Managing Director Pankaj R Patel said, 'This novel molecule would address unmet medical needs in treating diabetes and holds promising potential in the anti-diabetic and anti-obesity market'.

The number of diabetics in the world, estimated at 246 million, is expected to increase to 380 million by 2025.

Currently, 41 million, accounting 16.6 per cent of the global diabetic population, live in India and this number is expected to touch 70 million or 18.4 per cent of global diabetic patients, by 2025.

The global anti-diabetic market was estimated at 24 billion dollars in 2008.

The Zydus Research Centre has over 20 discovery programmes on with several candidates in the pre-clinical development stage focused on metabolic, cardiovascular, pain and inflammation therapeutic areas.

UNI