Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) and InnoCentive, Inc. announced a $100,000 challenge calling for ways to approach the discovery and development of a glucose-responsive insulin drug as a means to treat insulin-dependent diabetes.

JDRF is harnessing InnoCentive's Challenge Platform and Global Solver Community to uncover solutions for an insulin drug for patients with diabetes, to improve glucose control, decrease or eliminate the need to test or monitor blood glucose levels, and reduce their chances of short- and long-term diabetic complications.

Through this challenge, JDRF's ultimate goal is to discover a glucose-responsive insulin drug that would work only when the body needs it. Glucose-responsive insulin would deliver the precise amount of insulin needed in response to circulating glucose levels and to control and maintain normal blood glucose levels throughout a daily routine with once-daily or less frequent dosing in people with diabetes.

"What we need is sophisticated insulin that will take the guesswork out of managing diabetes by developing a novel insulin that works in the same way insulin works in people without diabetes," says Aaron Kowalski, PhD, assistant vice president of treatment therapies at JDRF.

This challenge is open to anyone with a solution that fits the published criteria, and requires only a written proposal. Submissions for this challenge will be accepted through November 9, 2011.

The winning solution from this challenge could be further developed into a second phase, named the preclinical proof of principle "validation phase." This second phase would require a detailed research plan proposal, and could offer the winning solver(s) the opportunity to become a member(s) of the team created to put the winning solution into practice.

Release Date: Sept. 8, 2011
Source: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International