Rhythm announces new obesity treatment clinical trial

The first clinical trials for the testing of Rhythm's RM-493 melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) agonist have begun, according to the company. Trials for the drug are designed to test its effectiveness in the treatment of obesity in patients that have a MC4R pathway genetic deficiency.

According to Doctor Sadaf Farooqi, professor of Metabolism and Medicine at the University of Cambridge, when genes within the MC4R pathway lose their function, it can result in severe obesity. The new drug has been designed to get to the root of the problem in an effort to reduce the number of people suffering from this form of obesity.

Mutations in the MC4R gene are the cause of the deficiencies in the pathway, and has been found to be the most common genetic cause of obesity. Around six per cent of those that have a body mass index (BMI) of over 35 have this type of deficiency.

It is these individuals who tend to have a higher chance of becoming severely obese and of developing complications related to obesity. MC4R deficiency has also be linked to obesity in younger people, which increases their chances of developing complications as a result. Individuals with this form of deficiency may also find that diet and exercise have very little impact upon their weight, meaning treatment options are incredibly limited.

The first of the clinical trials testing RM-493 has been designed to assess the safety of the drug and the effect that it has upon weight loss within those that have a MC4R deficiency. Patients will be treated with the drug for up to four weeks, expanding the Phase Two clinical programme that is ongoing into the use of RM-493 for the treatment of obesity.

Doctor Keith Gottesdiener, chief executive of Rhythm, said: "This new clinical study is a personalised medicine approach to the treatment of obesity in people with a poorly functioning MC4R gene and has the potential to restore function in this pathway and improve weight regulation. We are excited about the potential to address this significant unmet need in metabolic disease."