Scientists Develop Injectable Treatment That Reverses Type 2 Diabetes in Clinical Trials
A new injectable compound regenerates insulin-producing cells and reversed Type 2 diabetes in 62% of trial participants over 12 months of treatment.
Image: GlobalBeat / 2026
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Oxford announced promising results from a phase-two clinical trial of an injectable compound that reversed Type 2 diabetes in 62 percent of participants over a 12-month treatment period.
The compound, designated GLP-9X, works by regenerating pancreatic beta cells responsible for insulin production while simultaneously reducing insulin resistance in liver and muscle tissue. Unlike existing GLP-1 medications, it does not require daily administration — participants received one injection every three weeks.
“We are cautious about calling this a cure, but these results are genuinely unprecedented,” said the lead researcher. “Over half our patients were clinically non-diabetic at month 12 with no medication. That has never been achieved before at this scale.”
The trial enrolled 340 patients across four countries. Side effects were described as mild and transient, primarily nausea in the first week after injection.
Researchers expect to begin phase-three trials within 18 months. Regulatory approval, if trials continue successfully, could come as early as 2028.