Barriers and new opportunities in developing effective therapies for diabetic neuropathy: International expert consensus recommendations

BACKGROUND: Diabetic neuropathy (DN) affects up to half of individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Despite evidence that improving metabolic and cardiovascular health can slow its progression, DN remains a significant clinical challenge due to the lack of disease-modifying therapies and effective pain management strategies. This consensus aimed to identify gaps and recommend strategies to address these challenges. METHOD: A workshop, initiated by Steno Diabetes Centre Copenhagen and the Danish Diabetes and Endocrinology Academy, conducted a gap analysis based on insights from clinical studies, observational cohorts, and clinical practice. Online invitations targeted experienced clinicians, researchers, and drug developers committed to improving DN treatment through innovative clinical trials. Thirty-five participants from six countries reached consensus via a Delphi process on key steps to advance DN therapy. RESULT: Four critical barriers and needs were addressed: (1) Translating bench research to clinical practice, (2) Enhancing clinical trial design, (3) Improving outcome measures, and (4) Identifying effective treatments for painful DN. CONCLUSION: Successful interventional trials require robust outcome measures to capture clinically meaningful changes in DN phenotypes, providing the basis for developing effective, disease-modifying treatments.