Shionogi says good results in obesity drug trial
Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:21 AM ET
TOKYO, July 10 (Reuters) - Japanese drug maker Shionogi and Co. <4507.T> said on Monday it had recorded favourable preliminary results in Phase IIa clinical trials of an experimental obesity treatment code-named S-2367.
The study data showed significant efficacy in keeping weight off obese patients after they lost it through a dietary regimen and also showed some efficacy for weight loss among patients who did not diet, the company said.
Investors have been eager to learn the results of the treatment, which some analysts say could significantly boost Shionogi's prospects.
Shares in Shionogi closed up 5.16 percent at 2,240 yen, a year high, prior to the announcement. They also outperformed the pharmaceutical sector index <.IPHAM.T,> which rose 2.13 percent.
The Osaka-based company said it had conducted the trials on 342 obese patients in 20 institutions in the United States to test the efficacy and safety of the drug, which the company believes can help to suppress appetite.
Shionogi ran two 12-week studies -- one aimed at finding whether patients who have lost weight from dieting can keep down their weight and another to investigate whether the drug can help patients lose weight without dieting.
In the first study, patients treated with the S-2367 once a day lost an additional 2.2 kg (4.85 lb) while placebo patients showed no change during the 12-week trials.
In both cases, the patients were given low-calorie meals after the 4-week dietary regimen.
The second study showed that patients treated with S-2367 lost an average 3.6 kg, while placebo patients lost an average 2.4 kg.
No major safety problems were observed, the company said.
Shionogi plans to unveil results of the final analysis of the Phase IIa trials in October, a company spokesman said.
Asked whether Shionogi would license out the drug or seek a development alliance, the spokesman said: "We plan to conduct Phase IIb trials on our own for now, but nothing has been decided for later development or marketing."
Shionogi does not have its own U.S. sales network.
The global obesity drug market is worth about $1.16 billion a year, industry data shows.
Drugs that are already available include Roche Holding AG's <ROG.VX> Xenical and Abbott Laboratories Inc.'s <ABT.N> Meridia, which work differently from Shionogi's experimental compound.
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