TransTech Pharma, Three Programs for the Treatment of Metabolic Disorder from Novo Nordisk

January 25, 2008 – TransTech Pharma, Inc. and Novo Nordisk A/S announced today that TransTech has acquired all rights from Novo Nordisk to a portfolio of drug candidates being developed to treat metabolic disorders. This portfolio is comprised of three distinct therapeutic approaches to such treatment: H3 receptor antagonists, PPARd agonists, and 11βHSD1 inhibitors......TransTech's current diabetes and obesity portfolio includes orally administered and novel therapeutic development candidates targeting PTP1b inhibitors, AgRP inhibitors, GLP1R agonists, AMPK activators and glucokinase activators. Now, with the addition of the three Novo Nordisk programs, TransTech is engaged in 11 clinical and preclinical programs in this area...TransTech Pharma's Press Release- Novo Nordisk's Press Release-

Phase I studies of Compellis Pharmaceuticals’ novel and patented obesity therapy

Boston, Mass., January 7, 2008 – Compellis Pharmaceuticals, an early-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel mechanism-based therapeutics for the treatment of obesity, announced that its collaborator Pennington Biomedical Research Institute at Louisiana State University, with Principal Investigator Dr. Frank Greenway, MD, has received FDA approval to begin human clinical Phase I studies. Enrollment for the program will begin in the first quarter of 2008 with an expected completion date in the second half of the year...
CP404 is a calcium channel blocker used in a nasal formulation to block olfactory activity and alter behavior to reduce food intake. Compellis Pharmaceuticals has tested a series of like compounds and believes the effect can be seen in the overall class of calcium channel blockers. The advantage of CP404 is that it is a small molecule that is well tolerated in man and is readily manufactured... Compellis' Press Release-

Neurogen, Results of Multiple Ascending Dose Studies with Experimental Obesity Drug

Jan 07, 2008 - Neurogen Corporation (Nasdaq: NRGN) announced that it has completed the follow-up component of a Phase 1 multiple ascending dose (MAD) study with NGD-4715, an MCH-1 receptor antagonist being investigated for the treatment of obesity.The initial phase of the MAD study utilized three times per day dosing (tid) for 14 days in healthy obese subjects exposed to a high caloric diet. As previously reported, during this phase moderate induction of the liver enzyme CYP 3A4 occurred, increasing the probability of accelerating metabolism of other drugs administered concomitantly. In addition, during the initial phase of the MAD study, lipid lowering effects were observed... Neurogen's Press Release-

Cyberonics , Obesity-Related Patents

Dec. 18, 2008 - Cyberonics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CYBX) announced that effective December 18, 2007, the company has entered into an agreement with Ethicon Endo-Surgery granting exclusive rights to the company's patents and patent applications pertaining to vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for the treatment of obesity and two related co-morbidities, diabetes and hypertension, in overweight patients... Cyberonics' Press Release-

EnteroMedics, Nine-Month Clinical Results on Its VBLOC-RF2 Feasibility Study for Obesity Therapy

Jan 08, 2008 - EnteroMedics Inc. (NASDAQ:ETRM), a developer of medical devices using neuroblocking technology to treat obesity and other gastrointestinal disorders, announced interim clinical results for the company's Maestro(TM) RF2 System. The Maestro RF2 System is currently being evaluated in 33 obese patients outside the United States in the VBLOC-RF2 clinical feasibility study of the company's proprietary VBLOC(TM) vagal blocking therapy... EnteroMedics' Press release -