Most promising drugs in development for metabolic syndrome

Decision Resources finds that emerging agents from Metabolex/Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis, and Amylin/Eli Lilly are among the most promising drugs in development for metabolic syndrome.

According to the new Pharmacor report Metabolic Syndrome, the emerging second-generation PPAR-gamma modulator from Metabolex/Johnson & Johnson, metaglidasen, holds promise as an insulin-sensitizer. Metaglidasen has been shown to reduce frequency of edema and reduce weight gain, two side effects that have limited the market potential of currently available drugs in this class, such as Takeda's Actos and GlaxoSmithKline's Avandia. Emerging drugs that modulate the incretin pathway-including Merck's Januvia, Novartis's Galvus, and Amylin/Eli Lilly's Byetta LAR-are all shown to improve glucose control and confer protective properties on pancreatic beta cells, making them excellent candidates for metabolic syndrome because they reduce the risk for development of type 2 diabetes. Physicians also cite Sanofi-Aventis's Acomplia, which is currently used to treat obesity, as a suitable metabolic syndrome treatment because it has been shown to improve patients' metabolic profiles in addition to causing weight loss.

The report also finds that the lack of a consensus definition of metabolic syndrome and controversy about its associated cardiovascular risk continue to be the greatest barriers to effective management of this disorder.

"In response to a lack of recognition of metabolic syndrome by reimbursement and regulatory authorities, pharmaceutical companies are realigning their pipelines to target subpopulations of patients who have multiple components of metabolic syndrome, such as obese patients with type 2 diabetes," said Decision Resources Analyst Donny Wong, Ph.D. "Current definitions of metabolic syndrome include patients with established type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, as well as patients with preconditions of these disorders."