NIH grants $1.1 million to Metabolic Solutions for next phase of testing

Metabolic Solutions Development Co. has received funding to continue research fatty liver disease in animal models.

The National Institute of Health’s Small Business Technology Transfer Program has awarded the drug discovery and development company a $1.1 million multi-year Small Business Technology Transfer Program grant.

To date, the company has raised more than $55 million to support development of its lead compounds MSDC-0160 and MSDC-0602, which also are being developed to treat type 2 diabetes.

Fatty Liver Disease is a group of conditions that lead to an accumulation of excess fat in the liver of people who consume excessive alcohol or who are obese.

It is estimated that 14 to 24 percent of the general population and up to 80 percent of morbidly obese individuals have fatty liver disease. It is associated with metabolic disorders that include diabetes, obesity, elevated blood lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as high blood pressure.

Although there now are no treatments for fatty liver disease, the relationship of this condition to insulin resistance and metabolic disease suggests treatments originally developed to treat diabetes may be effective.

In a recently completed study in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, MSDC-0602 was shown to significantly help control insulin. And in previous preclinical studies funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases MSDC-0602 was shown to improve insulin sensitivity and increase the ability of the liver to oxidize and clear fat in trials on rodents.

“Importantly for patients diagnosed with fatty liver disease, these new therapeutics won’t have the unwanted side effects associated with currently available insulin sensitizers,” says Stephen Benoit, chief executive officer, MSDC.

Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave
Source: Mike Beyer, Metabolic Solutions Development Co.