By Baltazar Gomez --
On June 26, 2007, Denmark-based 7TM Pharma A/S announced the grant of United Kingdom patents covering the use of the Obinepitide and TM30339 for treating obesity. In 7TM Pharma's statement, CEO Mette Kirstine Agger said the patents demonstrate the strength of 7TM Pharma's patent position in the obesity area allowing for strong commercial, development, and marketing of treatments for obesity. 7TM Pharma is a biotech company focusing on the discovery and development of new drug targets for seven-transmembrane receptors. 7TM Pharma's primary therapeutic area is metabolic diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases. The basis for 7TM Pharma's drug discovery is thorough and comprehensive knowledge of target receptors as well as target structures for designing new drug candidates.
Obinepitide is a synthetic analogue of two natural satiety human hormones: PYY3-36 and Pancreatic Polypeptide. The hormones serve as satiety signals from the gastrointestinal system and are released during meals. Obinepitide incorporates the properties of PYY3-36 and Pancreatic Polypeptide in a single molecule that targets the Y2 and Y4 receptors. In pre-clinical studies in diet-induced obese animals, the dual active Obinepitide demonstrated better long term reduction in body weight compared to PYY3-36, which targets the Y2 receptor only. In obese human subjects, once-a-day subcutaneous dosing of Obinepitide inhibited food intake up to nine hours after dosing.
TM30339 is an analogue of Pancreatic Polypeptide and works through the Y4 receptor. However, TM30339 has improved properties compared to Pancreatic Polypeptide. Thus, TM30339 imitates a natural mechanism of the gastrointestinal system that regulates food intake. In pre-clinical studies of obese mice, TM30339 demonstrated long-term reduction of body weight.
Both Obinepitide and TM30339 are presently involved in Phase I/II clinical studies. In the Unites States, the FDA has approved a number of drugs for treating obesity, including desoxyephedrine, phenmetrazine, 
phentermine, diethylpropion, phendimetrazine, benzphetamine, mazindol, fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine, sibutramine, and orlistat. Obesity is a growing global health concern. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1 billion adults are overweight and that at least 300 million are clinically obese. Obesity is a major risk factor for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, and even certain cancers. Obinepitide and TM30339 should be welcomed additions to the therapeutic arsenal in the fight against obesity.
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