Investors reading into the U.S. FDA’s decision to skip an advisory committee meeting to discuss the NDA for Applied Therapeutics Inc.’s govorestat, seeking approval as the first therapy for treating classic galactosemia, clearly saw reasons for optimism, as shares of Applied (NASDAQ:APLT) jumped 69% to close Sept. 18 at $7.85.
Amylin is a hormone co-secreted with insulin in the pancreas that has anorexigenic effects, since it promotes satiety and reduces food intake. Amylin analogs and dual agonists of the amylin and calcitonin receptors have been developed for treating obesity. Astrazeneca plc reported results with their AMYR3 agonist AZD-6234.
Incretin therapies based on GLP-1 receptor agonism aid in the loss of weight in obesity, but a relevant part of this loss (25%-40%) is attributed to loss of lean muscle mass, which raises the risk of sarcopenia. Keros Therapeutics Inc. has presented data on RKER-065, a novel modified ActRII-Fc ligand trap that inhibits myostatin and activins and promotes muscle formation.
How do exercise and insulin collaborate in metabolism? The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation recognized the work of Juleen Zierath in this topic with the Diabetes Prize for Excellence at their recent annual meeting.
Two leading glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for obesity and type 2 diabetes – Novo Nordisk A/S’s semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) and Eli Lilly and Co.’s tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) – are advancing in China after taking the U.S. market by storm.
As Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. go head-to-head in the U.S. and Chinese glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) market for diabetes and obesity, Novo Nordisk is in innovator gear once more with leading studies of GLP-1s in Alzheimer’s disease.
Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech companies are leading development of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists as Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. edge closer to launching blockbuster therapies in China. At the heart of the GLP-1 boom is a nationwide obesity problem driven by a confluence of factors, including the rise of a modern, sedentary lifestyle, according to Clarivate. Despite the rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, the gap in obesity therapeutics is “substantial and leaves a solid market opportunity for weight loss drugs,” Karan Verma, principal analyst of healthcare research & data analytics at Clarivate, said.
Researchers from Ajou University presented data from a preclinical study that aimed to assess the potential of using the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor LMK-235 for the prevention of diabetic muscle atrophy.
There has been growing interest in developing novel cannabinoid CB1 receptor inverse agonists to treat obesity and its metabolic comorbidities. At the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting, Inversago Pharma Inc. presented data on their CB1 receptor inverse agonist INV-347. The compound was shown to reduce body weight in diet-induced obese mice.
Korro Bio Inc. has established a collaboration with Novo Nordisk A/S to advance the discovery and development of new genetic medicines, initially to treat cardiometabolic diseases. The collaboration brings together Novo Nordisk’s deep cardiometabolic disease understanding and drug development experience with Korro’s proprietary platform to develop RNA editing product candidates for two undisclosed targets.