Impact of Obesity
One of the most common and significant health issues in the U.S.
Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease involving an excessive amount of body fat and increases the risk for many other health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, joint problems, liver disease, gallstones, some types of cancer, and sleep and breathing problems, among other conditions.
Current Approaches
Weight-loss medications are variable, causing
adherence issues.
Weight-loss medications are meant be used alongside diet, exercise, and behavior improvements and do not work the same for everyone. Once medication is stopped, which can happen often with patients suffering from obesity, weight is quickly regained to the level seen with lifestyle changes alone.
High dose GLP-1 receptor agonists comprise the first medication class to show weight loss of up to 15-20% with acceptable safety and tolerability profiles. If used consistently, they have the potential for longer term results.
Our Solution
Designed for continuous dosing, extending duration
of treatment.
NPM-115 (high-dose exenatide) is an implant candidate currently being designed to be easily inserted in a quick, outpatient procedure – and to provide continuous dosing for at least 6 months, helping patients keep the weight off longer and avoid the additional dosing burdens associated with alternative therapies.
Impact of Type 2 Diabetes
A complex, chronic metabolic condition.
Type 2 diabetes impairs the way the body regulates and uses sugar (glucose) as a fuel, leading to disorders of the circulatory, central nervous and immune systems. Severe manifestations include blindness, kidney failure, neuropathy, cardiovascular disease and death in severe manifestations. Unfortunately, non-adherence is common in many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) encourages treatment options that address non-adherence
Current Approaches
Complex, costly treatment options can lead to poor adherence.
Factors such as low adherence, potentially due to administration challenges, may explain why many therapies do not reach the efficacy seen in clinical trials, leading to increased economic costs.
Today, one of the most promising and increasingly utilized class of drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes is GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are proven to enhance insulin sensitivity and secretion.
Our Solution
A miniature, long-term implant with convenient administration.
NPM-119, our GLP-1 receptor agonist implant under development, is designed to ensure continuous dosing for at least 6 months. It can be inserted in a quick, outpatient procedure by a healthcare professional and eliminate the inconvenience of taking daily pills and/or weekly injections for patients with type 2 diabetes.
Impact of Feline Diabetes
An increasingly prevalent, weight-related disease among companion cats.
Feline pre-diabetes and diabetes is the result of a cat’s inability to produce enough insulin to balance blood sugar or glucose levels and is frequently caused by obesity. Left untreated, it can lead to weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration, severe depression, problems with motor function, coma, and even death. Due to an increasing number of inactive, obese cats that primarily live indoors, feline diabetes is likely to be on the rise in the U.S.
Current Approaches
Far fewer treatment options for cats than humans.
Diet alteration alone is typically not sufficient treatment and indoor cats have few options for exercise. Concerned pet owners and veterinarians often resort to using expensive and untested human medications. The method of administering current medications also proves to be both difficult for the owners and highly stressful for their pets. Feline treatments simply haven’t evolved as far as human treatments for diabetes.
Our Solution
A small, simple implant with extended duration.
Under development by our partner Okava Pharmaceuticals, OKV-119 is a miniature implant designed to deliver continuous doses of medication to felines with diabetes for at least 6 months. It can also be inserted in a quick and easy veterinary procedure, potentially ensuring significantly lower stress for owners and their pets along with consistent long-term results.