RedHill Announces Positive Obesity and Diabetes Results with Opaganib

RedHill Biopharma (Nasdaq: RDHL), today announced positive results from multiple in vivo studies, undertaken by RedHill’s partner, Apogee Biotechnology Corporation, showing the impact of opaganib  on weight gain and glucose tolerance in a high fat diet (HFD) model, supporting the potential clinical use of opaganib for the prevention and therapy of Type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related disorders.

• The global obesity-diabetes drugs market is projected to be worth around $100 billion by 2034 – largely driven by Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) inhibitors like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Trulicity and Mounjaro and sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors such as Boehringer Ingelheim’s Jardiance

• Positive results from multiple in vivo studies show the impact of sphingosine kinase-2 (SPHK2) inhibition in various models of metabolic disease, supporting the potential of opaganib therapy for diabetes and obesity-related disorders

• With multiple U.S. government collaborations ongoing, opaganib is a novel, host-directed, potentially broad acting, orally administered small molecule drug with demonstrated safety & efficacy profiles. It is in development for multiple oncology, viral, inflammatory and diabetes and obesity-related indications, including COVID-19, Ebola, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and radio/chemical protection 

“Sphingolipid metabolism is implicated in insulin resistance, β-cell disruption, adipocyte function, inflammation and immune regulation, vascular complications and energy metabolism – all significant components of obesity, diabetes and their associated complications,” said Charles D. Smith, Ph.D. Founder and CEO of Apogee Biotechnology Corporation. “Opaganib’s ability to modulate multiple signaling pathways through simultaneous inhibition of three sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes in human cells provides a strong rationale for evaluation of opaganib in obesity-related disorders.”

“Sphingolipid metabolism is a key pathway in many diseases, including obesity, but has not been adequately examined as a therapeutic target for human therapy,” said Dr. Mark Levitt, Chief Scientific Officer at RedHill.  “Opaganib, which acts as a sphingosine competitor, is the first clinical drug to target three key enzymes in this pathway.”