Pennington Biomedical Research Institute Receives FDA Approval To Begin Phase I Studies Of Compellis Pharmaceuticals' Novel Obesity Therapy

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Clinical Trials / Drug Trials;  Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals
Article Date: 09 Jan 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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Compellis Pharmaceuticals, an early stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel mechanism-based therapeutics for the treatment of obesity, announced that its collaborator Pennington Biomedical Research Institute at Louisiana State University, with Principal Investigator Dr. Frank Greenway, MD, has received FDA approval to begin human clinical Phase I studies. Enrollment for the program will begin in the first quarter of 2008 with an expected completion date in the second half of the year.

"The development of novel anti-obesity therapies has been a focus of my research for 30 years and I am excited to continue that commitment in collaboration with Compellis," said Dr. Frank Greenway. "Blocking smell to reduce food intake has the potential to be used as a single line therapy or in combination with other drugs and patient support programs to treat obesity."

CP404 is a calcium channel blocker used in a nasal formulation to block olfactory activity and alter behavior to reduce food intake. Compellis Pharmaceuticals has tested a series of like compounds and believes the effect can be seen in the overall class of calcium channel blockers. The advantage of CP404 is that it is a small molecule that is well tolerated in man and is readily manufactured. Based on the compound's prior use in humans for other medical disorders Compellis Pharmaceuticals believes it will be eliminating some of the development time required for new molecular entities. The result will be a focused clinical development process that may result in a faster time to market.

"The Investigational New Drug (IND) application approval is a significant milestone achievement for the Compellis/Pennington obesity therapy development effort," said Christopher Adams, CEO of Compellis Pharmaceuticals. "Dr. Greenway has significant experience with the clinical development of obesity and nutritional therapies. We are excited about entering the Phase I study and look forward to the clinical results of CP404."

About Compellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Compellis Pharmaceuticals, an early-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel mechanism-based therapeutics for the treatment of obesity and related disorders. The company reformulates FDA approved products and identifies proprietary delivery methods to treat broad metabolic disorders and improve quality of life.

Compellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

About The Pennington Biomedical Research Institute

The Pennington Biomedical Research Institute is recognized as one of the world's outstanding obesity and nutrition research centers. The Pennington Center's mission is to promote healthier lives through research, education in nutrition and preventive medicine.

The Pennington Biomedical Research Institute