Therapy for obesity based on gastrointestinal hormones

Case Report: Liraglutide for Weight Management in Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndromic Obesity

Genetic obesity, including syndromic and non-syndromic forms, represents a minority of cases compared to essential obesity but gene dysregulations lead to complex clinical conditions that make their management particularly difficult. Among them, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a multisystem human genomic imprinting disorder characterized by overgrowth. We describe the first case of liraglutide treatment in an 18-year-old boy patient affected by BWS complicated by macroglossia, cryptorchidism, nephroblastoma, organomegaly, microscopic lymphocytic colitis, pharmacologically treated arterial hypertension, obesity, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. He presented a normal cognitive development. Body mass index at the time of first transition visit in the adult endocrinology department at the age of 18-years-old was 40.6 kg/m² without glucose metabolism impairment. Lifestyle interventions failed because of poor compliance. During 20 months of 3.0 mg liraglutide treatment, a weight loss of 19 kg (-13.3%) and BMI reduction of 6.8 points were registered without side effects. To date, liraglutide treatment was effective on obesity in 7 subjects with Prader Willy Syndrome and 14 with melanocortin-4 receptor mutations. The efficacy of liraglutide in BWS could be related to a crosstalk among glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 system, mechanisms related to the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C (CDKN1C), and dopamine mesolimbic circuit. Clinical trials aiming at a tailored medicine in genetic obesity are needed.

A first-in-human pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic study of a fully human anti-glucagon receptor monoclonal antibody in normal healthy volunteers

AIMS

Glucagon receptor (GCGR) blockers are being investigated as potential therapeutics for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Here we report the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of REGN1193, a fully human glucagon receptor blocking monoclonal antibody from a first-in-human healthy volunteer randomized double-blinded trial.

METHODS

Healthy men and women received single ascending doses of REGN1193 ranging from 0.05 to 0.6 mg/kg (n = 42) or placebo (n = 14) intravenously. Safety, tolerability and PK were assessed over 106 days. The glucose-lowering effect of REGN1193 was assessed after induction of hyperglycaemia by serial glucagon challenges.

RESULTS

REGN1193 was generally well tolerated. There were small (<3× the upper limit of normal) and transient dose-dependent increases in hepatic aminotransferases. No increase in LDL-C was observed. Hypoglycaemia, assessed as laboratory blood glucose ≤70 mg/dL, occurred in 6/14 (43%) subjects on placebo and 27/42 (57%) on REGN1193 across all dose groups. All episodes of hypoglycaemia were asymptomatic, >50 mg/dL, and did not require treatment or medical assistance. Concentration-time profiles suggest a 2-compartment disposition and marked nonlinearity, consistent with target-mediated clearance. REGN1193 inhibited the glucagon-stimulated glucose increase in a dose-dependent manner. The 0.6 mg/kg dose inhibited the glucagon-induced glucose area under the curve for 0 to 90 minutes (AUC_{0-90 minutes} ) by 80% to 90% on days 3 and 15, while blunting the increase in C-peptide. REGN1193 dose-dependently increased total GLP-1, GLP-2 and glucagon, with plasma levels returning to baseline by day 29 in all dose groups.

CONCLUSION

REGN1193, a GCGR-blocking monoclonal antibody, produced a safety, tolerability and PK/PD profile suitable for further clinical development. The occurrence of transient elevations in serum hepatic aminotransferases observed here and reported with several small molecule glucagon receptor antagonists suggests an on-target effect of glucagon receptor blockade. The underlying mechanism is unknown.

Short-term effects of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists on fat distribution in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an ultrasonography study

AIMS

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) induce weight loss and reduction in adipose tissue, but the effects of GLP-1 RA on the distribution of fat deposits have been poorly investigated.

METHODS

In 25 patients with type 2 diabetes (16 females and 9 males, mean age 63.5 ± 8.8 years), treated with GLP-1 RA (exenatide, n. 12; liraglutide, n.13), both before and 3 months after starting treatment, an abdominal ultrasonographic scan, with Doppler of renal arteries, and echocardiography were performed. Subcutaneous fat width (peri-umbilical and sub-xiphoid), deep fat deposits (pre-aortic, peri-renal, and epicardial), and renal resistive index (RI) were evaluated.

RESULTS

GLP-1 RA induced highly significant (p < 0.001) decrease in BMI and in fat thickness at all the assessed sites, without differences between exenatide and liraglutide treatment. A slight decrease in RI (p = 0.055) was also found. The percent changes of fat thickness was different between sites (p < 0.025), and the changes in subcutaneous deposits showed no significant correlation (p = 0.064) with those of deep fat deposits.

CONCLUSIONS

A short course of treatment with GLP-1 RA, besides weight loss, induces a redistribution of adipose tissue deposits, possibly contributing to a better cardiovascular risk profile in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Does a GLP-1 receptor agonist change glucose tolerance in patients treated with antipsychotic medications? Design of a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Metabolic disturbances, obesity and life-shortening cardiovascular morbidity are major clinical problems among patients with antipsychotic treatment. Especially two of the most efficacious antipsychotics, clozapine and olanzapine, cause weight gain and metabolic disturbances. Additionally, patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders not infrequently consume alcohol. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has shown to improve glycaemic control and reduce alcohol intake among patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether the beneficial effects of GLP-1 analogues on glycaemic control and alcohol intake, in patients with type 2 diabetes, can be extended to a population of pre-diabetic psychiatric patients receiving antipsychotic treatment.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Trial design, intervention and participants: The study is a 16-week, double-blinded, randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled clinical trial, designed to evaluate the effects of the GLP-1 analogue liraglutide on glycaemic control and alcohol intake compared to placebo in patients who are prediabetic, overweight (body mass index ≥27 kg/m(2)), diagnosed with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and on stable treatment with either clozapine or olanzapine.

OUTCOMES

The primary endpoint is the change in glucose tolerance from baseline (measured by area under the curve for the plasma glucose excursion following a 4 h 75 g oral glucose tolerance test) to follow-up at week 16. The secondary endpoints include changes of dysglycaemia, body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, secretion of incretin hormones, insulin sensitivity and β cell function, dual-energy X-ray absorption scan (body composition), lipid profile, liver function and measures of quality of life, daily functioning, severity of the psychiatric disease and alcohol consumption from baseline to follow-up at week 16. Status: Currently recruiting patients.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval has been obtained. Before screening, all patients will be provided oral and written information about the trial. The study will be disseminated by peer-review publications and conference presentations.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01845259, EudraCT: 2013-000121-31.

The glucagon-like peptide-1 analog liraglutide suppresses ghrelin and controls diabetes in a patient with Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disease characterized by severe morbid obesity in association with hyperphagia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 analog that controls appetite, decreases body weight and improves glycemic control. However, it is unclear if PWS patients with diabetes experience similar benefits of liraglutide therapy. In a 25 year-old female hyperglycemic PWS patient, liraglutide monotherapy improved her Hemoglobin A1c remarkably (12.6% to 6.1%) while steadily decreasing her body mass index (BMI: 39.1 kg/m(2) to 35.7 kg/m(2)). We offered this patient continued liraglutide therapy for one year to determine the effect on various metabolic parameters. Her hyperphagia was controlled soon after liraglutide treatment commenced and remained so throughout the treatment. The metabolic parameters changed as follows: visceral fat area fell from 150.1 to 113.2 (cm(2)); plasma insulin rose from 108.1 to 277.0 (pmol/L); plasma active GLP-1 dropped from 2.1 to 1.2 (fmol/L); plasma active ghrelin diminished from 137.0 to 27.7 (pmol/L). While plasma active ghrelin before treatment was abnormally high, even though her GLP-1 was normal, both decreased following liraglutide therapy. These results suggest that in addition to its insulinotropic effects, other potential mechanisms activated by liraglutide therapy may reduce the plasma ghrelin levels elevated in PWS, leading to an improvement in overeating, BMI and visceral fat, as well as glycemic control.

The continuing need for drug development and clinical trials in type 2 diabetes and its complications: introduction to the RDS special issue

The increased burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) necessitates the need for effective and safe novel drugs to treat this epidemic disease and its complications. By compiling this RDS Special Issue, our aim was to provide a comprehensive and critical overview on recent, ongoing, and future developments in this field. In collaboration with distinguished and renowned experts, we analyzed and discussed the most important advances in the field of incretin-based therapies, their extraglycemic effects, cardiovascular actions, and specific properties of the central nervous system. Another important drug class currently in development, the SGLT-2 inhibitors, and the role of the kidney in T2D are topics also covered by this issue. In addition to drug developments, new physiological insights into the understanding of the organ pathophysiology in T2D are presented that may eventually lead to additional therapeutic targets for obesity, T2D, and chronic inflammation acting on the brain, cardiovascular system, and pancreatic islets. The outcome of this Special Issue is a comprehensive reference work including bundled knowledge and expert opinions on the various aspects of the disease and its possible therapy strategies available now and in the near future. However, despite the advances delivered by modern incretin-based therapies today, there are still many limitations associated with efficacy data, application routes, and safety issues, which prevent the decline in diabetes complication rates. We conclude that further drug development and clinical trials are required to overcome these limitations, and to counteract the movement towards higher incidence rates of T2D and its complications.