A research team led by Dr. Ki-young Shin at the Human Care Electro-Medical Device Research Center, part of the Electro-Medical Equipment Research Division at KERI, is making significant progress in developing neuromodulation technology to treat and manage metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated triglycerides, often linked to poor diet and lack of exercise. While various treatments for obesity exist, such as drug injections and pharmaceuticals, these chemical approaches often carry the risk of side effects with long-term use. In response, Dr. Shin’s team at KERI has introduced a new method that involves suppressing appetite by electrically stimulating the cerebral cortex through the scalp.
This technique, known as transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), has shown promise in non-invasively targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to reduce appetite. The research team has identified three key technologies essential for this approach: accurately delivering electrical stimulation to the desired brain area, developing electrodes that can effectively contact the scalp through hair, and creating monitoring systems to ensure the stimulation reaches the target and alters brain activity. Dr. Shin’s team is actively developing these advanced technologies.
To validate the effectiveness of tRNS in suppressing appetite, KERI collaborated with Professor Hyung-jin Choi’s team at Seoul National University Hospital in a clinical trial. This trial involved 60 female participants, divided into two groups — one receiving tRNS and the other an active sham treatment. Over two weeks, each participant underwent six sessions of electrical stimulation, with 20-minute sessions using a barely noticeable 2 mA current. The aim was to demonstrate the potential of tRNS in reducing appetite.
Arrowhead to start two new obesity trials
After wrapping up its work on a cardiovascular candidate in the clinical stage, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is now turning its focus to two new obesity treatments, both slated to begin clinical trials in early 2025.
The company introduced two next-generation candidates: ARO-INHBE and ARO-ALK7. These are designed to address obesity and related metabolic disorders.
In preclinical studies, both candidates demonstrated the ability to reduce body weight and fat mass through a novel mechanism of action that could help preserve lean muscle mass, offering a potential advantage over current therapies. Arrowhead plans to seek regulatory approval to start human trials for both candidates by the end of this year, aiming to initiate clinical studies in obesity early next year.
As Dr. Carel le Roux, a metabolic medicine expert from University College Dublin, noted during the investor call:
Weight loss alone isn’t a sufficient value proposition for continuing medication. You need to see health and functional improvements as well.
According to Arrowhead’s chief of discovery and translational medicine, Dr. James Hamilton, when tested as monotherapy and in combination with tirzepatide in diet-induced obesity mouse models, ARO-INHBE and ARO-ALK7 both led to reduced body weight and fat mass while preserving lean muscle mass, resulting in improved body composition. Dr. Hamilton added that with the recent approval and positive clinical impact of new obesity treatments, emerging therapeutic strategies with novel mechanisms of action could represent the future of effective obesity and metabolic disease management.
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Source: “KERI advances neuromodulation technology for appetite suppression in obesity treatment,” News-Medical.net, 8/14/24
Source: “After clearing out heart disease drug, Arrowhead maps out obesity development plans,” FierceBiotech.com, 8/14/24
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