Biovitrum terminates preclinical program in obesity

All rights are returned by GlaxoSmithKline

07-Jun-2007

Biovitrum and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) initiated a collaboration to develop therapies for obesity and other diseases in 2002. In 2003, after a positive clinical phase II trial, the project refocused on the development of new compounds showing higher selectivity for the target. GSK has since then been responsible for the preclinical work and has now decided to discontinue the project. As a consequence, all rights are returned to Biovitrum, which has decided not to develop the compounds further for the obesity indication. According to the company, this has no financial impact for Biovitrum.

During the early phase of the program Biovitrum completed clinical phase II trials with the 5-HT-agonist BVT.993. It was found that BVT.933 significantly reduced body weight in patients without causing any serious side effects. However, the compound was not considered to be sufficiently selective and in 2003 the project was brought back for further preclinical studies. Since then the work has been focused on finding other compounds even more selective for the 5-HT2c receptor. GSK now returns all rights to the project to Biovitrum, which, subsequently, has decided not to develop the compounds further for the obesity indication. However, the compounds will be evaluated for other indications.

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