Monday, May 22, 2006

New Weight Loss Drug in Clinical Trials


The drug is Oleoyl-estrone (OE). It is being developed by Manhattan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. which last week received the go-ahead to proceed with a Phase IIa trial. The study will be single-center and involve 100 subjects assigned to 4 treatment groups.

OE is a synthetic form of a molecule that occurs naturally in the body. Preliminary studies show the drug beneficial for blood glucose and cholesterol levels, as well as weight loss.

How does it work?
"Oleoyl-estrone ... appears to reset the body's ponderostat, the 'food control center' located in the hypothalamus of the brain that detects and integrates signals controlling appetite and metabolic behavior. Peripherally, OE appears to cause reduced storage of fat ... and allows skeletal muscle to use fat as an alternate energy source."
- Alan G. Harris, MD, PhD, Manhattan's chief medical officer.


The race for a cure.

With 65% of Americans currently overweight, a number expected to rise in coming years, the market opportunity for a safe and effective weight loss drug is substantial - projected to be in the multiple-billions of dollars. Current therapies have been dogged by side effects or failure to sustain weight loss after therapy ends. OE is one in a line-up that hopes to fill this void.

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Manhattan Pharmaceuticals press release:
Manhattan Pharmaceuticals Receives SwissMedic's Approval to Commence Phase IIa Trial With OE