Diabetes drug could lead to new treatment for recurrent miscarriage

9 January 2020

A drug designed to tackle diabetes could also be repurposed as the first treatment to prevent miscarriage by targeting the lining of the womb itself, according to a clinical trial led by the University of Warwick.

Sitagliptin, the active ingredient of Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) no off-patent diabetes drug Januvia/Janumet, is first drug of its kind shown to increase stem cells in the lining of the womb. The treatment works by increasing the amount of stem cells in the lining of the womb, improving conditions in the womb to support pregnancy.

The research by Warwick Medical School is reported today (January 9) in the journal EBioMedicine from research conducted with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire and supported by the NIHR Coventry and Warwickshire Clinical Research Facility. The research was funded by and took place at Tommy’s National Miscarriage Research Centre.

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