Glucagon

Svetlana Mojsov named 2024 recipient of the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Svetlana Mojsov , whose research into hormonal triggers for insulin production led to groundbreaking treatments for diabetes and obesity, will receive the 2024 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize, The Rockefeller University announced today.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Svetlana Mojsov , whose research into hormonal triggers for insulin production led to groundbreaking treatments for diabetes and obesity, will receive the 2024 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize, The Rockefeller University announced today.
  • Mojsov, a research associate professor at Rockefeller, will be honored at a ceremony on campus on April 17.
  • The Pearl Meister Greengard Prize was established by the late Paul Greengard , the Vincent Astor Professor at Rockefeller, and his wife, the sculptor Ursula von Rydingsvard.
  • Visit this page to register for the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize ceremony and learn more about the award.

Slim Pickings: Finding Cost-Effective Obesity Solutions

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 8, 2024

NEW YORK, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a full figure was a symbol of status, indicating one's wealth, fertility and power in an environment of food scarcity. Today, it has a negative connotation. Faced with antiquity's unreliable resources, humans were hardwired to prioritize calorie-dense, energy-rich foods. To reinforce this behavior, evolution gave a boost of dopamine to big eaters; those who failed to feast during times of plenty might starve when food ran out. While abundant calorie consumption was an advantage in early societies, the ingrained drive to stock up is now a liability as access to food has become more reliable.

Key Points: 
  • Obesity presents many health risks, and expensive GLP-1 agonists have grabbed the limelight, but there are affordable and effective ways to address it.
  • While this behavior was a boon during times of food instability, constant consumption of energy dense nourishment now contributes to obesity.
  • Obesity not only increases health risks and reduces quality of life and mobility; but also produces a significant economic impact.
  • This requires alternative approaches and comprehensive efforts that combine cost-effective medications with diet and exercise to reduce excessive obesity rates.

Entera Bio Reports Q3 2023 Financial Results, Highlights Transformational Steps and Unveils Vision as Premier Oral Peptide Company with Five Potential Programs in Development

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 14, 2023

“Today, after over a year of steadfast transformation and execution, Entera stands as a premier oral peptide company.

Key Points: 
  • “Today, after over a year of steadfast transformation and execution, Entera stands as a premier oral peptide company.
  • We are also exploring the potential use of EB613 to accelerate stress fracture healing due to high intensity athletic or military training.
  • Entera Q3 2023 Updates and Goals for 5 Oral Peptide Programs:
    EB613 (oral PTH (1-34), teriparatide), is being developed as the first oral, osteoanabolic (bone building) once-daily tablet treatment for osteoporosis.
  • Entera published pre-clinical data in May 2023 demonstrating that its oral peptide delivery platform enables gastric absorption of teduglutide, as a convenient potential tablet alternative to daily injections.

OPKO Health Reports Third Quarter 2023 Business Highlights and Financial Results

Retrieved on: 
Monday, November 6, 2023

OPKO Health presented late-breaking clinical data on RAYALDEE extended-release calcifediol in a poster presentation at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week.

Key Points: 
  • OPKO Health presented late-breaking clinical data on RAYALDEE extended-release calcifediol in a poster presentation at the American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week.
  • Operating loss was $25.4 million in the third quarter of 2023 compared with $28.3 million in the third quarter of 2022.
  • Operating loss for the third quarter of 2023 was $64.4 million compared with an operating loss of $87.8 million for the 2022 quarter.
  • OPKO’s senior management will provide a business update, discuss third quarter financial results, provide financial guidance and answer questions during a conference call and audio webcast today beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Entera Bio Announces Collaboration with OPKO Biologics to Develop Oral Peptide Tablet Formulations for Obesity and Intestinal Malabsorption Syndromes

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 12, 2023

JERUSALEM, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entera Bio Ltd. (NASDAQ: ENTX, “Entera”) and OPKO Biologics, Inc., a subsidiary of OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPK, “OPKO”) have entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement.

Key Points: 
  • JERUSALEM, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entera Bio Ltd. (NASDAQ: ENTX, “Entera”) and OPKO Biologics, Inc., a subsidiary of OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPK, “OPKO”) have entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement.
  • Under the terms of the Agreement, OPKO will supply its proprietary long-acting GLP-2 peptide and certain Oxyntomodulin (OXM) analogs for the development of oral tablet formulations using Entera’s proprietary oral delivery technology.
  • Entera recently published pre-clinical data demonstrating that its oral peptide delivery platform enables gastric absorption of teduglutide, as a convenient potential tablet alternative to daily injections.
  • We look forward to working with Entera,” said Phillip Frost, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OPKO Health.

i2o Therapeutics Names Kurt Graves Chairman and CEO, Announces Corporate Updates

Retrieved on: 
Monday, August 28, 2023

i2o Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the appointment of Kurt Graves as Chairman, President and CEO.

Key Points: 
  • i2o Therapeutics, Inc. today announced the appointment of Kurt Graves as Chairman, President and CEO.
  • Mr. Graves succeeds i2o co-founder and CEO Ravi Srinivasan, Ph.D., who is pursuing other leadership opportunities within the life sciences field.
  • He has previously served as Chairman, President and CEO of Intarcia Therapeutics, former Chairman of Radius Health, former Executive Chairman of i2o Therapeutics, and as a Board member at Achillion Pharmaceuticals until it was acquired, and at Seres Health.
  • Previously, Mr. Graves served as EVP, Head of Corporate Development, Strategic Drug Development and Program Management and Head of Commercial at Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Xeris Ships One Millionth Gvoke® Unit

Retrieved on: 
Monday, July 31, 2023

Xeris Biopharma Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: XERS), a growth-oriented biopharmaceutical company committed to improving patients’ lives by developing and commercializing innovative products across a range of therapies, today announced that Xeris has shipped more than one million units of Gvoke® – the company’s ready-to-use liquid glucagon for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia in adults and children with diabetes ages 2 years and above.

Key Points: 
  • Xeris Biopharma Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: XERS), a growth-oriented biopharmaceutical company committed to improving patients’ lives by developing and commercializing innovative products across a range of therapies, today announced that Xeris has shipped more than one million units of Gvoke® – the company’s ready-to-use liquid glucagon for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia in adults and children with diabetes ages 2 years and above.
  • “We are proud to celebrate this major milestone of having shipped over one million units of Gvoke since its launch,” said Paul R. Edick, Xeris’ Chairman and CEO.
  • “However, far too many people with diabetes are still left without protection against a potentially life-threatening severe low blood sugar event.
  • Based on recently updated guidelines by the American Diabetes Association1 and others, we estimate that approximately 15 million people2 with diabetes are at increased risk of low blood sugar, a primary risk factor being on insulin, and should be carrying a ready-to-use glucagon, like Gvoke HypoPen®,” Mr. Edick continued, “We will continue to work tirelessly towards our mission of protecting as many of the 15 million as possible and call on the medical community to take responsibility to make these new standards of care your standards of practice.”

Viking Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2023 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 26, 2023

SAN DIEGO, July 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Therapeutics, Inc. ("Viking") (NASDAQ: VKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders, today announced its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2023, and provided an update on its clinical pipeline and other corporate developments.

Key Points: 
  • Highlights from the Quarter Ended June 30, 2023, and Other Recent Events:
    "In the second quarter of 2023 Viking continued to build on the momentum achieved in the first quarter, following the successful Phase 1 results of the dual incretin receptor agonist VK2735 for obesity," stated Brian Lian, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Viking.
  • We ended the second quarter with approximately $393 million, placing us in a strong financial position, with runway to execute through multiple potential value-creating events."
  • During the second quarter, the company announced positive top-line results from its Phase 2b VOYAGE study evaluating VK2809 in patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis.
  • Management will host a conference call to discuss the company's second quarter financial results today at 4:30 pm Eastern.

City of Hope diabetes experts present new research on beta cells, insulin secretion and islet transplantation at annual American Diabetes Association (ADA) Conference

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, June 27, 2023

City of Hope diabetes scientists presented research at American Diabetes Association conference.

Key Points: 
  • City of Hope diabetes scientists presented research at American Diabetes Association conference.
  • Sangeeta Dhawan, Ph.D. , an associate professor in City of Hope's Department of Translational Research & Cellular Therapeutics , discussed epigenetic control of beta cell stress response and senescence.
  • Recent research by Dhawan and members of her lab outlined novel findings identifying the mechanisms by which cellular stress causes senescence.
  • Islet transplantation involves isolating insulin producing cells from a donated pancreas and infusing them into a patient with diabetes.

Data shows nearly 19% weight loss in people with overweight or obesity in Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma Phase II trial with survodutide (BI 456906)

Retrieved on: 
Friday, June 23, 2023

Ingelheim, Germany, and Copenhagen, Denmark, 23 June, 2023 – Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) today announced additional data demonstrating superior efficacy with survodutide (also known as BI 456906) versus placebo in people with overweight or obesity without type 2 diabetes after 46 weeks of treatment.1 The findings were presented at the 2023 American Diabetes Association’s 83rd Scientific Sessions in San Diego, CA, U.S.

Key Points: 
  • Ingelheim, Germany, and Copenhagen, Denmark, 23 June, 2023 – Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) today announced additional data demonstrating superior efficacy with survodutide (also known as BI 456906) versus placebo in people with overweight or obesity without type 2 diabetes after 46 weeks of treatment.1 The findings were presented at the 2023 American Diabetes Association’s 83rd Scientific Sessions in San Diego, CA, U.S.
  • “Survodutide may become the first anti-obesity medication to reduce appetite while increasing energy expenditure through the liver.
  • We look forward to furthering our discussions with health authorities to advance this dual receptor agonist into Phase III trials as we aim to help fill a treatment gap in this disease area.”
    “Obesity is one of the most significant healthcare challenges in medicine today,” said David Kendall, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Zealand Pharma.
  • “At Zealand Pharma, we have both experience and success in discovering and developing peptide therapeutics that target key metabolic pathways – designed to help people living with overweight and obesity by achieving substantial weight loss while addressing the many complications of this disease.”