MAKING OF DIABETES REMEDY?*
TO BE CONTROLLED BY U. OF T.
When Preliminary Experiments
Have Been Concluded, Manu-
facturing Licenses Will
Be Issued
INSULIN NOT YET A "CURE"
American Firm Has Been Col-
laborating on Standardizing
Preparation of Extract
The originators of the method of
preparation of Insulin have applied
For patents in Canada and other
countries, and have offered to assign
these, when granted, to the Univer-
sity of Toronto to administer in
whatever way they deem best so as
to prevent commercial exploitation of
the product and to safeguard the pro-
duction of a standardized extract.
U. OF T. COMMITTEE IN CHARGE
The University, through the board
of governors, has accepted the trust
and has appointed a committee, com-
posed of representatives of the
board of governors and of those who
participated in the researches, to ad-
vise it as how best to carry the
above purposes into effect.
These announcements are contain-
ed in authoritative information made
public to-day.
The first step in large scale produc-
tion of Insulin was taken by the Con-
naught anti-toxin laboratories, but it
was found that experimentation on
a still wider scale was necessary to
master the unexpected technical dif-
ficulties encountered in the work. It
was found with each attempted ex-
pansion of the scale of production
that fresh difficulties were encount-
ered and th,at products of unequal
potency and of uncertain clinical
value were obtained.
AMERICAN COLLABORATION.
It was decided, therefore, to col-
laborate with some large firm in the
United States, experienced in the
preparation of extracts from slaugh-
ter house material, so that enough
Insulin could be produced in the
country to supply it to a selected
group of physicians, so as to test its
therapeutic value in diabetes, its
proper dosage, etc., before it was
placed on the market.
The findings of these physicians
are transmitted confidently to the
committee of the University of To-
ronto and the collaborating firm,
and are proving invaluable as a guide
in standardizing the manufacturing
process. The Connaught Labora-
tories are doing this to the limit of
their ability in Canada.
LICENSES TO MANUFACTURE.
Whenever this preliminary experi-
mental manufacturing is completed
the University intends to issue li-
censes to other firms to prepare
Insulin, subject to their producing
It of a potency that is approved by
the University of Toronto. If the
method of preparation of Insulin had
been published without protection,
its widespread manufacture would
have resulted in its being used be-
fore the details of its clinical value
had been understood and this would
certainly have resulted in accidents,
since it is toxic when used in im-
proper dosage.
NOT YET A "CURE."
While it relieves the symptoms of
diabetes, insulin cannot as yet be
styled "a cure." It must be given
daily along with dietetic control in
order to suppress the symptoms. It
may take years of clinical invesTi-
gation to determine whether it can
be called a cure. It could not be
distributed freely among the medi-
cal profession at present even if the
supply were adequate, because
there would be danger in giving it
without accurate information. It is
to have these tests properly worked
out that insulin is being distributed
to certain diabetic specialists at
present.
The insulin manufactured in the
University is being used in Toronto
and Canada exclusively. Certain
physicians in the United States are
getting insulin for testing purposes
from the collaborating American