Innovation is the lifeblood of progress, transforming bold ideas into solutions that shape our world. At The University of Western Australia, we foster a spirit of inquiry and ambition, encouraging our community members to tackle the most pressing global challenges.
Today, we celebrate a remarkable alumnus, Glen Travers BCom ’76, whose pioneering work embodies this spirit, offering hope and tangible change to millions worldwide.
For Glen, innovation isn’t about novelty – it’s about impact. As co-founder of Diabetology Ltd, Glen has dedicated his career to reforming healthcare, particularly in the challenging field of diabetes. His vision goes beyond product development; it’s about reshaping what’s possible in medical science and delivering solutions that make a profound difference.
Under Glen's visionary leadership, UK-based Diabetology Ltd is at the forefront of biotechnology, spearheading the creation of an oral insulin delivery system.
By directly addressing the limitations of traditional insulin injections – pain, inconvenience, and potential side effects – Glen’s cutting-edge invention aims to simplify diabetes management and revolutionise treatment for both Type 1 and Type 2 patients globally.
The path to Glen’s breakthrough was not instantaneous but built on a foundation of calculated risks and a deep-seated curiosity for medical science. His early career saw success in finance, co-founding an equity bank. This venture provided him with the means to pursue his true passion: life sciences and medical technology.
An early notable project involved collaboration on eradicating Helicobacter pylori in gastric ulcer patients, leading to the first point-of-care diagnostic for an infectious disease. This experience was transformative, solidifying Glen’s resolve to dedicate his career to solving complex health challenges.
It also underscored the immense potential of turning scientific discovery into practical, life-altering solutions: a lesson that would fuel his future endeavours, including the development of the first oral therapeutic vaccine for chronic bronchitis.
The leap into diabetes care came as Glen and his scientific co-founder, Dr Roger New, identified a critical unmet need. While recombinant technology had made insulin production possible, its delivery remained a significant hurdle.
"We believed that insulin injections were suboptimal," Glen said. "There had to be a better way."
Their vision was ambitious: an oral insulin formulation that could mimic the body's natural pathway, targeting the liver directly to avoid the risks of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia, and potentially mitigate devastating long-term effects, such as blindness and neuropathy.
This led to the establishment of Diabetology Ltd and the development of its revolutionary delivery system. The mission was audacious: a safe oral insulin capsule absorbed in the upper intestine, transported via the portal vein to the liver. The path was arduous, filled with scepticism from an industry that largely deemed oral insulin an impossibility.
Yet, with the support of visionary partners and the scientific acumen of Dr New, they persevered.
Their breakthrough, AxcessTM, is a safe and effective formulation for delivering macromolecules such as insulin: an achievement that reflects their resilience and determination. The results were published in leading peer-reviewed journals, but the project was brought to fruition largely through private financing, a testament to their strong conviction and efficient approach.
Glen's innovative spirit didn't stop with insulin.
The team realised its delivery system held promise for other crucial treatments, including GLP-1 receptor agonists for diabetes and obesity. By enabling oral delivery, these drugs can trigger satiety responses and improve glucose control more naturally, potentially avoiding side-effects associated with injectables.
From Perth to the UK where he’s now based and a current member of the UWA Business School Ambassadorial Council UK Chapter, Glen has built his career on consistently challenging established dogma and turning impossible into reality.
His journey, from early successes to leading a biotech company that is reshaping diabetes treatment, is a powerful example of how vision, perseverance and an unwavering commitment to improving lives can drive monumental change.
"This journey brought me back full circle as a UWA Alumni Ambassador."
Glen Travers
“This journey brought me back full circle as a UWA Alumni Ambassador, where I had the opportunity to meet with Telethon Kids Institute – now known as The Kids Research Institute Australia and recognised globally as a centre of excellence in diabetes,” Glen said. “This centre now has collaborations with expert leaders to advance our work on oral insulin and oral GLP-1 therapies for diabetes and obesity in Perth.”
As a university community, we are immensely proud to see an alumnus such as Glen leading the charge as a beacon of innovation and hope, inspiring future generations to dream big and tackle the world's greatest challenges.