PPARg. They have 2 classes. Both show in models they effect glucose levels competitive with approved sensitizers (Avandia and ?). One shows almost no weight gain cf Avandia (up 23%). One shows almost no edema. Either one would be fabulous improvement over SOC if it holds up in humans.
Effective doses in 3 of the preclinical candidates are tiny: .1mg/kg (rat HDL model, increased HDL by 50%), .3mg/k to 10mg/kg (obesity; reduces food consuption and big weight gain reduction in the KKY mouse cf Merider**), .3mg/kg was the effective dose in diabetes (I think). I think they have also given the diabetes drugs up to 1000x.
About the HDL target, did not want to talk about the target at all. But said the candidate is "completely" selective for target. Did not want to talk about obestiy target either, but did say it is CNS. What is striking is the certainly with which Goeddel speaks about the various positive qualities of these candidates. As though he personally knows his molecules much better that others know theirs.
The only thing said about another partnership is one more Mab partnership.
I did chuckle when he said matter of factly that they've had an intense orphan GPCR program in place for 2 years (like, what's the big deal). Admits the company never talked about it much. Have been working on 150 of them or so for years. And the audience was left with the impression that the Sakyo deal, for five, only scratches the surface.
BTW, I was only there for one day. I was impressed by MLNM, TLRK, Myriad, Celltech--Myriad was a big surprise and its next on my check-em-out list--the HIV drug and analogous possibilites ofr HEP C were sexy. I was a little disappointed in abgx, amln, and crxl. Crxl's antibody licensing though admirable will be much slower than I first thought.
Wilder |
