Summary
MARKETS ADDRESSED:
Metabolic disease, a collection of disorders including type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, fatty liver disease, hypertension and dyslipidemia, has reached epidemic levels worldwide, with approximately 115 million affected individuals in the US, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. This number is increasing rapidly, fuelled by the rising obesity and diabetes epidemic in industrialized countries such as China. The worldwide market size of metabolic disorders was estimated at US$97.7 billion in 2008.
Numerous medications are used routinely to treat patients with metabolic disease, putting them at risk for the occurrence of adverse reactions and drug-drug interactions. Biologics in development include those targeting interleukin 1 beta (Canakinumab, Novartis; XOMA A052, Xoma) and are designed to alleviate inflammatory symptoms of type 2 diabetic patients without addressing the underlying cause of disease. Thus, current options are limited and new therapeutics with minimal side effects that address the primary etiology are needed.
The secreted factor is derived from adipocytes with marked increase in dietary and genetic models of obesity. Evidence indicates that the adipokine is a key component of the adipo-hepatic communication system linking lipolysis to liver glucose production. Hotamisligil's work suggests that the secreted factor is involved in a novel mechanism of inter-organ communication regulating glucose metabolism and represents a promising target for the treatment of metabolic disease. Finally, this factor is highly elevated in human obesity and its expression levels correlate very strongly with metabolic complications and cardiovascular disease risk. Hence, this target presents a safe and effective therapeutic opportunity against type 2 diabetes with cardiovascular benefits.
Feb. 1, 2012
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