An Introduction to C-Peptide from Cebix Inc on Vimeo.

Cebix is developing Ersatta^TM, a proprietary long-acting C-peptide replacement therapy for the treatment of complications associated with diabetes.  

Cebix is developing Ersatta^TM, a proprietary long-acting C-peptide replacement therapy for the treatment of complications associated with diabetes.  

It is estimated that 4 million people in the U.S. and Europe have type 1 diabetes, and about 15,000 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the U.S. each year. On a global scale, type 1 diabetes affects more than 8 million people and the incidence is rising.

Type 1 diabetes is characterized by the body's inability to produce proinsulin and consequently both insulin and C-peptide. Cebix scientists have identified C-peptide as a biologically active endogenous peptide hormone; it was originally considered to be only an inactive byproduct of insulin production. Extensive scientific data suggests that C-peptide deficiency in type 1 and some type 2 diabetics is a contributing cause of many of the complications associated with long-term disease despite controlled insulin replacement therapy. 

Diabetes can eventually lead to microvascular disease, which is damage to the small blood vessels. The primary microvascular complications associated with type 1 diabetes are:

• Neuropathy; resulting in reduced sensibility of the feet and lower legs, ulcer formation, gastrointestinal and sexual dysfunction, occurring in approximately 80% of type 1 patients after 15-20 years;
• Nephropathy; resulting in gradual loss of kidney function and eventually end-stage renal disease, occurring in up to 25% of type 1 patients after 15-20 years
• Retinopathy; resulting in retinal edema, hemorrhage, and loss of vision, occurring in 30-50% of type 1 patients after 15-20 years.

Treatment options for these complications of diabetes are limited to pain management, and there are no approved drugs to treat the microvascular damage. Ersatta is a long-acting form of C-peptide that has the potential to reverse the chronic complications of diabetes, including progressive damage to the nerves, kidneys and retina.