Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects 1 in 16 people in the UK, and leads to
difficulty controlling blood sugar levels. This is due to an imbalance between two main
hormones: insulin, which lowers blood sugar, and glucagon, which causes it to rise. Most
current anti-diabetic medications work to improve insulin levels, however research is now
shifting to better understand how glucagon levels play a key role in this disease.
Glibenclamide is a type of anti-diabetic medication (sulfonylurea) which is commonly used to
increase the amount of insulin released by the pancreatic beta-cells. Studies in mice and
human cells from donors with type 2 diabetes have shown that sulfonylureas can also improve
glucagon levels when used in very small doses by working on different cells in the pancreas
(alpha-cells).
The aim of this study is to find out whether low doses of glibenclamide can improve glucagon
levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, and whether in the future this could be used to
better control high blood sugar levels, without the risk of causing low blood sugar.
Participants with type 2 diabetes who are diet-controlled or on metformin will be given a
liquid containing a low dose of glibenclamide. They will need to attend the OCDEM Clinical
Research Unit at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford, for early morning blood tests every 3-4 days
over a period of 3 weeks. A continuous glucose monitor will also be fitted during this time.
This study is funded by the NIHR OxBRC.