The Competence Center for Innovative Diabetes Therapy (KomIT), coordinated by the German Diabetes Center (DDZ) and consisting of eight partners, has successfully implemented its stated goal within the three-year project phase of partners from industry and university research working together in transdisciplinary networks:  to efficiently translate innovative research results into clinical applications to improve diabetes management in patients. The achievements of KomIT, which was funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Union, have now been presented at a concluding event in hybrid format.

Numerous research results were published and several patents were filed within the framework of the project. Due to the excellent interaction of the partners, it was possible to build up a sustainable infrastructure to bundle expertise from management, development and medicinal chemistry, preclinical studies, analytics, toxicology and physiology up to clinical trials. The spin-off of the company CureDiab GmbH (curediab.de) initiated the consolidation of the Competence Center. The aim of CureDiab is, among other things, to develop novel effective drugs for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

"Within the framework of the KomIT consortium, we not only succeeded in establishing an excellently equipped state-of-the-art central laboratory for cell and molecular biological studies. We are now also able to provide an open platform and jobs for North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and Europe as a location for business and innovation," said Professor Michael Roden, scientific director and executive board member of the DDZ and coordinator of KomIT. Dr. Dirk Günnewig, state secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, was present at the concluding event and stated the following: “Diabetes is one of the major common diseases, and the trend is increasing. In the fight against the disease, it is necessary to develop new approaches and innovative therapies. KomIT has succeeded in linking a broad spectrum of North Rhine-Westphalian expertise in the field of diabetes research to advance the further development of therapies. That will alleviate the suffering of many patients.”

KomIT has received funding of around EUR 3.5 million from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Union over the last three years within the framework of the OP ERDF NRW (Operational Program for the promotion of investments in growth and employment for North Rhine- Westphalia from the European fund for regional development). The research infrastructure initiated by KomIT has provided important impetus for the pharmaceutical and biotech sector in North Rhine-Westphalia and sustainably strengthens the innovative power and competitiveness of NRW. Participating in KomIT are the DDZ, Algiax Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Taros Chemicals GmbH & Co. KG, Lead Discovery Center GmbH (LDC), vivo Science GmbH, A & M Laboratory for Analytics and Metabolism Research Service GmbH, PROFIL Institute for Metabolism Research GmbH and TU Dortmund University with the Drug Discovery Hub Dortmund (DDHD).