Nastech Initiates Clinical Trial Of PYY3-36 To Treat Obesity

Nastech Pharmaceutical Company completed enrollment for its Phase 2 clinical trial of PYY3-36 Nasal Spray to treat obesity.

The Company enrolled 551 obese patients at multiple clinical sites in the United States for a six-month, randomized, placebo-controlled dose ranging study. The study is designed to evaluate three different doses of PYY3-36 Nasal Spray compared to placebo and sibutramine (Meridia), a commercially available oral weight loss drug, with the primary endpoint being weight loss.

"We are pleased with the rapid enrollment of 551 patients into the Phase 2 study to evaluate PYY3-36 nasal spray as a novel treatment for obesity. The fact that we exceeded our enrollment target of 510 patients is an indication of the unmet need for an effective obesity therapeutic," stated Gordon Brandt, M.D., President of Nastech. "The dramatic rise in obesity globally requires safe and effective treatment options for the hundreds of millions of people whose lives are impacted by this condition. If successful, PYY Nasal Spray would offer a patient-friendly product to promote weight loss."

About PYY

Peptide YY is a naturally occurring hormone that is believed to function as a physiologic inhibitor of food intake. PYY is released into the blood stream from specialized endocrine cells (L-cells) in the gut after a meal and is believed to trigger the feeling of satiety, or fullness. Because PYY is a peptide, initial studies focused on PYY delivery by injection. Utilizing its proprietary drug delivery technology, Nastech developed the nasal spray formulation of PYY as a unique, non-invasive treatment option for obesity.