AMRI : New Obesity Treatment toward IND Submission

June 2, 2009— AMRI (NASDAQ: AMRI) announced the selection of a compound from its proprietary obesity treatment research program for advanced preclinical testing, with the goal of submitting an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010.

AMRI's drug candidate is a novel MCH-1 receptor antagonist offering a promising new approach for the treatment of obesity. Melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) is a potent appetite stimulating peptide known to exert an effect on food intake and body weight regulation. In preclinical disease models, AMRI's small molecule antagonists of the MCH-1 receptor have demonstrated efficacy in rodent models of obesity, delivering weight loss that rivals currently available therapeutics, suggesting the potential for improved therapy in humans.

Pending favorable results in toxicity and safety pharmacology testing, AMRI estimates that it will submit an IND for this compound in the first half of 2010. Subject to FDA review, the submission of an IND would allow subsequent initiation of Phase I human clinical trials... AMRI's Press Release -

Emisphere Technologies : Encouraging Data from Independent Clinical Study Assessing the Effects of Oral GLP-1 and PYY3-36, Combined with Eligen(R) ...

May 26, 2009 - Encouraging Data from Independent Clinical Study Assessing the Effects of Oral GLP-1 and PYY3-36, Combined with Eligen(R) Technology on Appetite Suppression- Emisphere Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: EMIS) announced data from a clinical study designed to assess the effect of oral administration of two peptides, GLP-1 and PYY3-36, utilizing Emisphere's Eligen(R) Technology on appetite suppression. The study was conducted at the University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland by Professor Christoph Beglinger, of the Clinical Research Center, Department of Biomedicine Division of Gastroenterology, andDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the hospital.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 16 normal weight males between the ages of 18 and 40. The study was designed to investigate the effects of orally administered GLP-1 and PYY3-36 formulated with Emisphere's Sodium N-[8-(2-hydroxybenzoyl) Amino] Caprylate ("SNAC") carrier and their potential effect in the control of food intake and satiety. Prior studies have shown the ability of both peptides to reduce appetite and food consumption in healthy subjects and in patients with obesity... Emisphere Technologies' Press Release -