Small weight loss pills in response to drugs show promise as post-GLP-1 maintenance treatment
Poor tolerant of GLP-1 obesity drugs can cause many patients to stop taking them, thereby restoring lost weight. Some pharmaceutical companies are trying to develop other methods that can be used as maintenance therapy after initial treatment for GLP-1 injections, while response drugs now encourage interim clinical data to establish cases for their pills.
The response drug RDX-002 is an oral small molecule designed to inhibit targets called intestinal microparticle triglyceride transfer protein (IMTP). The method reduces the intake of triglycerides (fat) and cholesterol in the body, says Falls Church in Virginia. Therefore, the body's calories are reduced.
In the second phase of the test, RDX-002 was evaluated twice, and 68 participants were recruited to stop or be willing to stop the Novo Novo Nordisk Glp-1 drug Wegovy or Eli Lilly GLP-1 and GIP receptor receptor agonist Zepbound. The main goal was to measure changes in triglyceride levels after 12 weeks compared to placebo. Secondary goals include measuring weight changes and cholesterol levels.
According to results released Wednesday, the responding medications resulted in a statistically significant reduction in blood fat levels after eating. Furthermore, the results at 12 weeks showed that these losses were also associated with weight loss compared to placebo. The startup says RDX-002 is generally well tolerated, describing adverse events as mostly mild to moderate gastrointestinal effects. No serious adverse events were reported. The company said it will present full-stage data at an upcoming scientific conference.
RDX-002 was discovered and initially developed by Surface Logix obtained by Kadmon Pharmaceuticals. In 2021, Sanofi paid $1.9 billion to acquire Kadmon, a Rock2 inhibitor that focuses on treatments for chronic grafts and host diseases. Response to obtain global rights to RDX-002 from SANOFI. According to Response's website, company co-founder and chief scientific officer Paul Sweetnam leads Surface Logix's RDX-002. Responding to the announcement of $8 million Series A financing in 2022.
The lead indication of RDX-002 is to address weight gain in antipsychotics, which is a common side effect of these drugs. A separate 2-phase planning is underway in this direction. However, helping patients maintain weight loss after GLP-1 treatment provides another opportunity for biotechnology.
“By targeting the key pathways involved in metabolic regulation, we aim to provide a durable, well-tolerated solution to support long-term weight management and cardiac metabolic health,” Response CEO Eric Keller said in a prepared statement. “We remain committed to advancing the development of RDX-002 in our lead indicators (Antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG), which aims to promote highly metabolic vulnerable populations and explore its potential in other areas with large unmetabolic needs.”
Photo: Peter Dazeley, Getty Images
