Aug 4 (Reuters) – Rhythm Pharmaceuticals said on Tuesday its experimental weekly injectable drug helped reduce body weight in patients with a rare form of obesity caused by damage to the brain, according to preliminary data from an ongoing 11-patient study.
Here are the details:
• The mid-stage trial was testing the drug, RM-718, in patients with acquired hypothalamic obesity, a condition that can develop after tumor treatment damages the part of the brain controlling hunger and weight. It is different from common obesity linked to diet and lifestyle.
• Among the enrolled patients, the seven who completed 16 weeks of treatment saw their body mass index – a measure of body fat based on height and weight – fall by an average of 11.6%.
• “These encouraging results suggest that RM-718 has the potential to deliver clinically meaningful BMI reductions in patients” with the condition, said Rhythm’s CEO David Meeker.
• RM-718 works by activating a brain receptor called MC4R, which helps control hunger and metabolism.
• The company said the BMI reduction was similar to results seen with its other obesity drugs, once-daily injectable setmelanotide, sold under the brand name Imcivree, and experimental drug bivamelagon, over a similar period.
• Two patients stopped treatment with RM-718 due to side effects, including nausea and injection site problems, while one patient withdrew from the trial’s extension phase.
• Separately, Rhythm posted second-quarter total revenue of $71.3 million, up 46.9% from $48.5 million a year earlier.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
