Isis : Phase 1 Clinical Trial of ISIS-FGFR4Rx a Peripherally Acting Drug to Treat Obesity

Calif., Dec. 20, 2011 - Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) announced the initiation of a Phase 1 study of ISIS-FGFR4Rx, an antisense drug designed to treat obesity. ISIS-FGFR4Rx specifically reduces the production of fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) in the liver and fat tissues, which decreases the body's ability to store fat while simultaneously increasing fat burning and energy expenditure. Because ISIS-FGFR4Rx does not distribute to the brain or central nervous system (CNS), ISIS-FGFR4Rx should not produce any CNS side effects. Many anti-obesity drugs primarily work to suppress appetite by acting in the brain, commonly resulting in CNS side effects.

"Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and much of the rest of the industrialized world. Obesity is a serious condition that increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and some cancers. Severely obese patients make up the most rapidly growing part of the obese population. In these severely obese patients, bariatric, or weight-loss, surgery is a preferred therapeutic option; however long-term weight loss remains a challenge for these patients," said Richard Geary, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Development at Isis. "Many of the recent therapies under development or on the market to treat obesity have unacceptable safety profiles. Clearly there is a significant need for a treatment approach that can cause weight loss without deleterious side effects."... Isis Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -