Diabetes can be considered as a complex and evolving pathological condition which is present as prediabetes before being diagnosed as overt diabetes. Prediabetic patients often display multiple cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. obesity, lipid disorders, high blood pressure, and/or altered glycemia) that progressively lead to the deterioration of many organs including the pancreas, liver, and blood vessels, and ultimately to Type 2 diabetes and its related end-stage organ diseases. Macro- and microvascular complications typically associated with diabetes include myocardial infarction, stroke, retinopathy, nephropathy, diabetic foot ulcers, and arteritis.

An important risk factor for the development of Type 2 Diabetes is Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG), a condition where blood sugar levels are elevated, but not enough to be considered as overt Type 2 Diabetes. It is estimated that 57 million Americans have IFG or Impaired Glucose Tolerance; they are 5-15 times more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes than people with normal glucose levels.

Obesity is also a major risk factor for diabetes, and the widespread nature of obesity is likely to lead to a severe increase in the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes and its complications.

As a result, according to the WHO, the diabetes ‘‘epidemic’’ could affect 340 million people by the year 2025, as compared to 30 million people in 1985. The prevention and treatment of micro- and macrovascular complications associated with prediabetes and diabetes is therefore universally recognized as a major goal for public health worldwide.

While drugs exist that act on an isolated risk factor, many diabetic and prediabetic patients still remain at risk for the development of vascular complications.

Genfit develops a global approach to deal with early stage prediabetes to meet the major goals of healthcare systems worldwide. Our research efforts thus aim to delay the onset of Type 2 Diabetes and prevent the progression to the micro- and macrovascular complications associated with the advanced stages of the disease.

IT-Diab (Therapeutic Innovation – Diabetes), a consortium managed by Genfit, was assembled to set the framework for an innovative medical and technological approach to address unmet medical needs in pre-diabetes and diabetes.

One of the program’s aims is to discover the pathophysiological mechanisms leading to insulin resistance and pancreatic dysfunction. The ultimate goal is to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for pre-diabetes and early stages of type 2 diabetes.

Link to IT-Diab Brochure