Roche: Cautious Start to Metabolic Syndrome Development
Posted on: Friday, 22 October 2004, 03:00 CDT
JTT-705 is a cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor under development by Japan Tobacco for the treatment of dyslipidemia. The compound, which is currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials has shown evidence that it can modify lipid profiles by increasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the blood.
Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will have exclusive worldwide rights, excluding Japan and Korea, to develop and commercialize JTT-705. Japan Tobacco will receive a payment upon signature of the agreement and could receive milestone payments, depending on the progress of development, and royalties based on product sales.
The addition of an anti-dyslipidemic to Roche's developmental pipeline is in line with the company's existing R&D offering, and suggests that the company is focusing on the development of a cardiovascular risk factor portfolio. This should boost its commercial potential in the growing metabolic syndrome market. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a cluster of metabolic abnormalities including dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity and impaired fasting glucose or pre-diabetes.
Roche currently markets the anti-obesity drug Xenical (orlistat) and has a number of developmental agents undergoing Phase I clinical trials for the treatment of type II diabetes. In addition, the company also has several other metabolic agents in pre-clinical development including the nuclear receptor modulator R1593 in development with Nippon Shinyaku for dyslipidemia.
Datamonitor estimates that as many as 115 million individuals may suffer from metabolic syndrome in the seven major markets. Furthermore, this already considerable patient population is set to grow rapidly in response to the rising incidences of obesity and diabetes. However, Roche's pipeline remains at an early stage and the company currently has a limited metabolic offering. Therefore the licensing agreement for JTT-705 should be viewed very much as the beginning of a long strategic development process.
Source: Datamonitor
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