RTTNews) - Nastech Pharmaceutical Co. Inc. (NSTK | charts | news | PowerRating) on Monday announced the initiation of a dose ranging study designed to evaluate the pharmacokinetic parameters, appetite, food intake and safety of various doses of its proprietary Peptide YY or PYY(3-36 | charts | news | PowerRating) nasal spray in obese subjects. The objective of the Bothell, Washington-based company's study is to identify doses which would be appropriate for further study in a long-term Phase II efficacy and safety clinical trial.
Peptide YY is a naturally occurring hormone that is believed to function as a physiologic inhibitor of food intake. The study design is a double blind, cross-over test of multiple doses of PYY (3-36 | charts | news | PowerRating) nasal spray in 12 obese subjects with a Body Mass Index of 30-40 kg/m. It includes intravenous (IV | charts | news | PowerRating) PYY and placebo treatment arms.
Subjects will be randomized to each treatment arm with approximately one week between treatments. The study, expected to be completed during the fourth quarter 2006, costs approximately $400 thousand. According to World Health Organization, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults worldwide, 300 million of whom are clinically obese.
Steven Quay, Chairman, President and CEO of Nastech, said the study would provide insight into the optimal doses of PYY to reduce food intake. "With obesity reaching epidemic levels worldwide, the need for a safe and effective product that promotes weight loss has become critically important," he added.
NSTK currently trades at $14.40, up $0.17 or 1.19% from the previous close, on 72,720 shares.
Obesity Spray 
Linear Mode
