Pfizer and BMS to fight fat together
pharmafile | August 29, 2007 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â Â
A new research collaboration between Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb could eventually produce innovative treatments for metabolic diseases including obesity and diabetes.
The companies have announced the tie-up to research and market drugs in the promising new class of drugs called DGAT-1 inhibitors.
The alliance will see Pfizer conducting all early stage R&D activities, with BMS working with its US rival on phase III development and marketing.
"The worldwide incidence of metabolic disorders is increasingly rapid, and complications from diabetes and obesity are leading causes of disability and mortality globally," commented Elliot Sigal, BMS's head of research and development.
"This collaboration underscores the company's commitment to investing in research and development, and reflects our strategy to identify partnerships that complement our own research efforts to enhance our innovative pipeline," he added.
For Pfizer, the deal allows it to share the cost of putting drugs through phase III, the most expensive and risky part of the development process, while BMS could reap the reward in sales revenues if just one drug becomes a blockbuster.
But while a drug that can help people lose weight is potentially one of the most lucrative pharmaceutical markets, the industry has found the scientific challenges hard to crack so far.
Sanofi-Aventis Acomplia (rimonabant) appears to be the latest in a long line of drugs that have promised to be a breakthrough only to falter because of safety concerns.
Sanofi-Aventis withdrew its US marketing application for the drug in June, after a unanimous rejection by a panel of FDA experts. The main concern was the observed increased levels of depression and suicidal thinking seen in patients in clinical trials, even in those who had not suffered from these symptoms before. In Europe, regulator the EMEA recently ruled that new restrictions on prescribing Acomplia would have to be introduced because of the depression side-effects, ensuring that many doctors will steer clear of the drug.
In 2003, Pfizer pulled out of a collaboration with Phytopharm to develop a drug based on the Hoodia plant, used by native tribes in South Africa to ward off hunger. The product is still in clinical trials and is being developed as a food-based product with Unilever.
DGAT-1 Inhibitors
Pfizer and BMS hope the new class of drugs will be free of problems experienced in other molecules.
DGAT-1 inhibitors are named after the enzyme which is believed to play a key role in the creation and storage of fat in the body.
Triglycerides are the principal component of fat, which is the major repository for storage of metabolic energy in the body and the DGAT-1 (diacylglycerol acyl transferase-1) enzyme plays a key role in the creation of triglycerides and fat storage.
Experiments in animals have shown that blocking its action can result in weight loss.
DGAT-1 inhibitors also improved glucose tolerance and lipid levels, suggesting the class could treat obesity, diabetes and dislipidemia all at once.
