ACE Inhibitor Slows or Reverses Renal Disease in Diabetics

A new therapy that uses an existing angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor has been shown to delay the progression of kidney disease caused by type 2 diabetes. If the therapy is provided early enough, kidney disease can be reversed altogether.

The results are based on data from a three-year study conducted by GenoMed, Inc. (St. Louis, MO, USA). Dr. David Moskowitz, chairman and chief medical officer of GenoMed, has discovered that ACE is associated with around 40 common serious diseases such as kidney disease and other complications of type 2 diabetes. With the new treatment, the time to kidney dialysis for African-American men increased from 3.3 years to an average of 9.3 years. For Caucasian men, the time was extended from 2.7 years to 4.0 years. When patients were treated before their serum creatinine reached 2 mg per deciliter, the disease was reversed.

According to Dr. Moskowitz, using existing drugs for new clinical indications is often the quickest and least-expensive way to improve a patient's condition. GenoMed is dedicated to identifying additional disease-associated genes, working on new treatments using existing drugs, and developing new drugs specifically designed against disease-causing genes.

"I'm excited because our initial data are so promising,” said Dr. Moskowitz. "The challenge now is to reach healthcare companies and large employers who can capitalize on the clinical and financial outcomes for patients.”




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