Rhythm's drug shows promise in study to treat brain damage-related obesity
The drug, bivamelagon, was tested in a mid-stage trial to treat patients with acquired hypothalamic obesity, caused by damage to the brain's hypothalamus.
Rhythm estimates there are up to 20,000 people with the condition in the U.S. and European Union.
Eight patients who received the maximum 600 mg dose in the trial showed a reduction of 9.3% in their body mass index, a common measure of body fat based on a person's height and weight.
Patients who received a 400 mg dose showed a reduction of 7.7%, and those on the lowest 200 mg dose, a reduction of 2.7%.
The trial included 28 patients aged 12 years or older.
Rhythm said bivamelagon showed BMI reductions consistent with its lead drug, setmelanotide, sold as Imcivree in the U.S. to treat a genetic form of obesity.
Setmelanotide is also being tested to treat acquired hypothalamic obesity. Both drugs target mechanisms that regulate appetite and energy expenditure.
Wall Street analysts said data shows bivamelagon has a lower tendency for skin darkening than Imcivree and could provide a more convenient oral option for patients.
Bivamelagon could bring in over $1 billion sales by 2032, when Imcivree is expected to lose its patent, Citizens Bank analyst Jonathan Wolleben said.
In the bivamelagon study, four patients reported mild, localized skin darkening. Other side effects were mild diarrhea and nausea, and one patient discontinued treatment after suffering from rectal bleeding.
Rhythm licensed bivamelagon from LG Chem last year.
It plans to discuss with U.S. and European Union regulators the design of its late-stage study and to refine the formulation to improve tolerability.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
US government hands over Medicaid recipients' personal data to ICE, AP reports
WASHINGTON, July 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nation's 79 million Medicaid enrollees to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the U.S., the Associated Press reported on Thursday. The report cited an agreement signed on Monday between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Homeland Security. The deal has not been made public yet, according to the report. Those agencies did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Medicaid health program is jointly funded by the federal government and states. Immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally are not eligible for Medicaid. The reported access to the personal data of Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities, would mark an escalation in the hardline immigration policies of the Trump administration and also raise privacy concerns.
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
Abbott flags over $1 billion hit in 2025 from tariffs, COVID test decline
July 17 (Reuters) - Abbott (ABT.N), opens new tab warned on Thursday it expects more than $1 billion in financial headwinds this year from a sharp decline in COVID-19 testing demand, new U.S. tariffs, and the government's foreign aid freeze. Its shares were down nearly 9% as the medical device giant also forecast third-quarter profit below estimates. Abbott's diagnostics division will be hit hardest, with a projected $700 million revenue impact in 2025 due to fading COVID test sales and pricing pressure from China's procurement program that buys medical devices in bulk at steep discounts. Adding to the strain, tariff-related costs are expected to total just under $200 million, with most of the impact landing in the second half of the year. But CEO Robert Ford said tariffs are now expected to be "less of a headwind than what we had originally anticipated back in January." Larger rival Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), opens new tab on Wednesday halved its expectations for tariff costs this year to about $200 million. "Together with the U.S. funding (freeze) for HIV testing, that's over a billion dollars of headwind," Abbott's Ford told analysts on a call. The Trump administration's decision to halt foreign aid has upended the supply chain for medical products and diagnostic tests crucial for fighting diseases including HIV and malaria in some of the world's poorest countries. Abbott projected a profit of between $1.28 and $1.32 per share for the current quarter, below expectation of $1.34, according to data compiled by LSEG. It estimated annual sales growth of between 7.5% and 8.0%, compared with 7.5% to 8.5% expected earlier. On an adjusted basis, the company reported a profit of $1.26 per share for the second quarter, ahead of estimates of $1.25, on strong sales of its continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices. Abbott also plans to build a manufacturing facility in Georgia by 2028 to support its cardiovascular business, adding to its April announcements for projects in Illinois and Texas that are expected to go live by the end of the year.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
FDA advisers vote against combination therapies of GSK's blood cancer drug
July 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's panel of independent advisers voted on Thursday against approval of GSK's (GSK.L), opens new tab blood cancer drug Blenrep for use in combination with other treatments.
