PROLOR Biotech Reports Positive Preclinical Results in Weight Loss Study of Its Long-Acting Anti-Obesity Drug Candidate

PROLOR Biotech PBTH today reported positive results from a comparative animal study of its long-acting anti-obesity drug candidate oxyntomodulin. The study measured the potential therapeutic effect of OXY-RPEG injected once or twice weekly as measured by weight loss and reduction in food intake compared with oxyntomodulin injected twice daily. It was conducted using a state-of-the-art animal model specifically designed to test anti-obesity drugs. In the study, OXY-RPEG injected either once or twice over a period of seven days demonstrated significantly higher weight loss, reduction of food intake and duration of weight loss activity compared with oxyntomodulin injected twice daily. Oxyntomodulin is a naturally occurring peptide hormone released by the digestive system that acts as a natural satiety signal to reduce food intake and increase energy expenditure following food ingestion. Previous third-party studies in humans showed that oxyntomodulin can reduce appetite and food intake, leading to significant weight loss without apparent side effects. However, as a result of oxyntomodulin's very short half-life, it had to be administered via three daily injections in these human studies. PROLOR developed its longer-acting OXY-RPEG version by combining a naturally occurring oxyntomodulin with the company's proprietary Reversible PEGylation technology designed to increase the half-life of therapeutic peptides and small molecules. In addition to the large reduction in required frequency and number of injections seen with OXY-RPEG in this preclinical study, OXY-RPEG also demonstrated greater potency, with the total dose administered over seven days containing approximately 15% of the cumulative dose of oxyntomodulin injected during the same period.