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Drug to be tested in humans to treat obesity and diabetes

The Uruguayan-Argentine company Eolo Pharma, founded in 2018 by researchers from the Pasteur Institute of Montevideo and the University of the Republic, obtained approval from the Australian regulatory agency TGA to start the first human clinical trial of its compound MVD-1, developed for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its metabolic complications such as type 2 diabetes. MVD-1 works as an anti-inflammatory on adipose tissue (body fat) producing thermogenesis, known as the ability to generate heat in the body due to metabolic reactions, therefore, its activation involves the consumption of large amounts of glucose and lipids. In other words, the drug prevents the formation of fat deposits in the body, which outlines it as an excellent candidate for the prevention of obesity, mainly, as well as cardiometabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

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In preclinical studies with mice, they have reported that during the first fifteen days of application the drug kept weight, glycemia and blood lipids stable, so the researchers expect optimistic results from clinical trials outlined for 2023 in Australia. The study will consist of a first phase to evaluate safety and efficacy, subdivided into two groups of 24 healthy participants, and a second phase with patients with overweight, obesity and impaired fasting glycemia; the patient recruitment period is expected to begin in January 2023 and the trial is scheduled to run during the rest of the year. It is projected that by the first quarter of 2024, once the first phase of the study is about to be concluded, the production and commercialization of the drug will begin.

Derived from the encouraging results obtained from preclinical trials aligned with regulatory requirements for safety, efficacy and toxicity in vitro and in animals, the pharmaceutical company managed to close a new round of investment for 3 million dollars. This second phase of investment involved the Argentine venture capital fund CITES, which had previously invested in the company, as well as international investors such as FICUS Advisory and Securitas Bioscience. With this new round, Eolo Pharma adds about 7 million dollars of investment in its research and plans a partnership with a pharmaceutical company or a venture capital firm to finance phase II clinical trials.

Abbreviation:

TGA: Therapeutic Goods Administration

Dr. Wendy López Romero

Research and Development Analyst at Drox Health Science. PhD in Innovation in Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. Master in Molecular Biology.

Sources

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3. Ugueto, L. C. (December 23, 2022). El laboratorio uruguayo Eolo Pharma cerró una nueva ronda de inversión por US$ 3 millones. AméricaRetail. (consultation date: January 11, 2023). Retrieved from: https://www.america-retail.com/uruguay/el-laboratoriouruguayo-eolo-pharma-cerro-una-nueva-ronda-de-inversion-por-us-3-millones/.

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