OSI Pharmaceuticals : Clinical Development Program for Anti-Obesity Candidate, PSN602

June 19, 2008- OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: OSIP) announced that it has initiated the first-in-human clinical study of its development compound PSN602. Discovered by OSI's diabetes and obesity team, PSN602 is an oral dual serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and 5-HT1A agonist, being developed for the treatment of obesity. PSN602 is the first clinical candidate to emerge from the Company's research efforts in obesity.

"Our research efforts are focused on designing innovative, next-generation, small molecule compounds to provide safer or more effective options for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity," stated Anker Lundemose, M.D., Ph.D., President of (OSI) Prosidion. "We believe that not only does PSN602 have the potential to have a favorable side-effect profile relative to current therapies for obesity, but also the potential to provide greater efficacy."

The double-blind, placebo-controlled, ascending, single and multiple, oral dose study is designed to provide preliminary information on the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of PSN602 in healthy lean and overweight/obese subjects, as well as on the effects of PSN602 on appetite and food intake in healthy overweight/obese subjects... OSI Pharmaceuticals' Press Release -

MDS Pharma : Therapeutic Focus on Respiratory and Metabolic Disorders

May 20, 2008 - MDS Pharma Services, a leading provider of innovative drug discovery and development solutions, has named two experienced medical professionals to lead its late stage clinical trial management activities related to respiratory ailments and metabolic disorders. Dr. Bernard Tisserand and Dr. Jonny L. Salyer have been named Executive Medical Directors for Respiratory Disorders and Metabolic Disorders, respectively. These therapeutic areas represent serious global public health concerns and are key areas of focus for MDS Pharma Services' customers. Respiratory disorders include conditions such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and community acquired pneumonia (CAP), while metabolic disorders include diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity and metabolic syndrome, which is defined as a cluster of conditions that damage the cardiovascular system... MDS Pharma Services' Press Release -

Amylin Pharmaceuticals : Promising Data From Diabetes and Obesity Programs at ADA 2008

June 2, 2008, 2008 - Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMLN) announced that the company will present new data for its FDA-approved diabetes drugs, BYETTA(R) (exenatide) injection and SYMLIN(R) (pramlintide acetate) injection, and its pipeline diabetes and obesity drug candidates at the American Diabetes Association's 68th Annual Scientific Sessions (ADA) being held in San Francisco, CA from June 6 to 10. The company will also host an investor presentation on Sunday, June 8, at 7:45 PM PT (10:45 PM ET) that will be available by webcast. ADA is one of the largest scientific meetings for endocrinologists and other health care professionals involved in diabetes research and the delivery of diabetes care. Amylin will be introducing data through over 20 posters and eight oral presentations at the meeting. The data will demonstrate significant progress in key research and clinical programs that include studies of BYETTA, SYMLIN, and Amylin's early and late-stage pipeline candidates... Amylin's Press Release -

Daiichi Sankyo : AZOR Reduces Blood Pressure in Difficult to Treat Special Populations

May 15, 2008 - Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., announced that data presented at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty-Third Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2008) in New Orleans demonstrated that the powerful combination drug AZOR™ (amlodipine and olmesartan medoxomil) safely and effectively helped patients across several major subpopulations lower their blood pressure (BP). An analysis of patient subgroups from the pivotal registrational trial demonstrated the efficacy of AZOR in several key difficult to treat patient groups including people of African and Hispanic/Latino decent, people with high body mass index (BMI) and those with diabetes... [PDF] Daiichi Sankyo's Press Release -

Theratechnologies ; Tesamorelin in Growth Hormone Deficient Abdominal Obesity

May 15, 2008 - Theratechnologies (TSX:TH) announced a strategic agreement with both the Massachusetts General Hospital ("MGH") and Dr. Steven Grinspoon to explore the use of tesamorelin in relative growth hormone deficient abdominally obese (GHDAO) subjects. MGH, under the direction of Dr. Grinspoon, will sponsor and conduct a clinical trial with tesamorelin in subjects that have excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with a moderate growth hormone deficiency and who are abdominally obese.The combination of these factors is now being recognized as an important contributor to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, one of the reasonable approaches to lower the cardiovascular risk in these subjects is to decrease VAT levels with tesamorelin to replenish growth hormone secretion, and to measure certain key markers of cardiovascular risk. Theratechnologies has demonstrated in various Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials that tesamorelin significantly and specifically reduces VAT in certain patient populations... Theratechnologies' Press Release -