Rensselaer, New York., Sept. 27, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ConSynance Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that Peter Guzzo, Ph.D., CEO, gave an oral presentation regarding the company's Phase I nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (“NASH”) drug candidate, CSTI-100, at a special session focused on NASH drug development held at Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Discovery on Target conference in Boston. CSTI-100 is a selective melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHR1) antagonist that has successfully completed Phase 1 clinical studies.
MCH is an endogenous peptide that promotes NASH by triggering appetite, hepatic steatosis, obesity and insulin resistance and the MCH/MCHR1 system is upregulated in various inflammatory disease processes. CSTI-100, a novel MCHR1 blocker, offers a multifactorial treatment for hallmark symptoms of NASH as well as associated metabolic disease comorbidities of obesity and insulin resistance. In mouse models of NASH with associated metabolic syndrome, CSTI-100 produced:
- Reductions in liver fat (triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids) and cholesterol
- Reductions in key liver inflammatory and fibrosis biomarkers that were independent of weight loss at the lowest dose
- Improvements in liver histology (steatosis and ballooning)
- Fat-selective weight loss due to targeted reduction in food intake
- Improvements in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity
In a 14-day phase I study in healthy, overweight subjects (9 per cohort), orally administered CSTI-100 was safe and well tolerated and had a half-life of approximately 26 hours. Up to a 47% reduction in hunger was observed by means of a Visual Analogue Scale that was statistically significant versus a placebo control group.
"We believe that CSTI-100 offers an extremely attractive new option for the treatment of NASH and we look forward to further clinical trials to document its potential” said Peter Guzzo, Ph.D.
About ConSynance Therapeutics, Inc.
ConSynance Therapeutics is a clinical-stage drug development company based in Rensselaer, New York. ConSynance’s pipeline includes innovative treatments for NASH, the orphan disease Prader-Willi syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome. www.consynance.com
ConSynance Therapeutics, Inc. Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1996 regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical and/or bio-technology products. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that CSTI-100, or any other treatments in the company’s pipeline, will receive regulatory approval for the indications described herein. ConSynance Therapeutics, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.