Can a drug save Insulin-Making cells in kids with New-Onset diabetes?
NCT ID NCT03782636
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This phase 2 trial is testing whether aldesleukin, a drug that helps regulate the immune system, can preserve insulin production in children and young adults (ages 6-18) recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Participants receive either aldesleukin or a placebo for 6 months, and researchers measure changes in C-peptide levels (a marker of insulin production). The goal is to see if the drug can slow the loss of natural insulin-making ability.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Aldesleukin (a lab-made version of interleukin-2, a protein that helps regulate the immune system)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to preserve natural insulin production in people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, potentially reducing their long-term reliance on insulin injections.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 41 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Aldesleukin can cause flu-like symptoms and skin reactions, and it is unclear if it will meaningfully preserve insulin production over time.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Addenbrooke's Hospital
Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Bristol Royal Hospital for Children
Bristol, United Kingdom
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Nottingham Children's Hospital
Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Oxford Children's Hospital
Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
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The Great North Children's Hospital
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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