Aug 4 (Reuters) – Rhythm Pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday its experimental weekly injectable drug helped reduce body weight in patients with a rare form of obesity caused by damage to the brain, according to preliminary data from an ongoing mid-stage study.
Shares of the Boston-based company were up 5% in premarket trading.
Here are the details:
• The company was testing the drug, RM-718, in patients with acquired hypothalamic obesity, a condition that can develop after surgery or treatment for tumors damages the part of the brain that controls hunger and body weight. It is different from common obesity linked to diet and lifestyle.
• Among 11 enrolled patients, the seven who completed 16 weeks of treatment saw their body mass index – a measure of body fat based on height and weight – fall by an average of 11.6%.
• “These encouraging results suggest that RM-718 has the potential to deliver clinically meaningful BMI reductions in patients” with the condition, said Rhythm’s CEO David Meeker.
• RM-718 works by activating a brain receptor called MC4R, which helps control hunger and metabolism.
• The company said the level of BMI reduction was similar to results seen with its other obesity drugs, setmelanotide and bivamelagon, over a similar period.
• Two patients stopped treatment due to side effects, including nausea and injection site problems, while one patient withdrew from the trial’s extension phase.
• The company’s other drug for acquired hypothalamic obesity, setmelanotide, is sold under the brand name Imcivree as a once-daily injection.
• Separately, Rhythm posted second-quarter total revenue of $71.3 million, up 46.9% from $48.5 million a year earlier.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
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