Lexicon Genetics Announces Discovery of New Target for Development of Drugs To Treat Obesity
THE WOODLANDS, Texas, June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lexicon Genetics Incorporated (Nasdaq: LEXG - News) announced today that the Company has identified and validated in vivo a new target for the development of potential drugs to treat obesity. Knockout mice lacking a receptor, called LG747, had more than twice the body fat of normal animals, even at a young age. The increased accumulation of fat accounted for a 35% weight increase while lean body mass remained normal. Lexicon plans to develop drugs that activate the receptor target which could potentially reduce body fat and weight. These new drugs could have significant potential for treating obesity and associated diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
The LG747 gene encodes a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with no previously known physiological function, a class of proteins that have historically provided powerful targets for the development of drugs by the pharmaceutical industry. Nearly half of today's drugs act on GPCRs because of their important role in regulating physiology.
"LG747 is the second major target we have disclosed in the area of obesity and metabolism using our patented gene knockout technologies," said Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Lexicon. "Activation of GPCRs is a productive area of drug discovery that has led to the development of many blockbuster therapeutics."
The physiological role of LG747 was uncovered through the Company's industrialized gene knockout program, in which mice lacking specific genes are associated with important medical profiles. Lexicon researchers compared mice that had LG747 "knocked out" to normal controls. Both sets of mice were fed the same diet. Aside from profound weight gain due to increased body fat, mice lacking LG747 appeared normal. This is important because it could suggest that LG747 plays a role in regulating the storage of body fat in mammals.
"Current treatments for obesity are not very effective," said David Powell, M.D., Director of Metabolism at Lexicon. "We are developing a strong franchise in obesity drug discovery by identifying multiple targets that could potentially provide new and perhaps complementary therapies aimed at this important and growing disease area."... |
