Endocrine Abstracts

The initiation of mammalian puberty requires an increased pulsatile release of gonadotrophin hormone releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. This increase is brought about by changes in transsynaptic and glial–neuronal communication. Coordination of this regulatory neuronal–glial network likely requires the participation of a multiplicity of genes hierarchically arranged within discrete, but interactive, networks. The identity and structural features of at le...

Background: Hypothalamic obesity (HO) is an acquired form of severe obesity that can occur following surgical resection of or radiotherapy for brain tumors and is often unresponsive to lifestyle modifications or traditional obesity pharmacotherapies. Here, we report weight- and body composition–related findings from a Phase 2 trial of setmelanotide, a melanocortin-4 receptor agonist, in patients with HO.Methods: A Phase 2, open-label, 16-week trial ...

Background: Hypothalamic injury and impaired melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway signaling, often a result of surgery or radiation for a benign tumor, may lead to hypothalamic obesity (HO). After injury, sudden weight gain and appetite changes unresponsive to existing therapies develop. Setmelanotide, an MC4R agonist, is approved for chronic weight management in patients with certain MC4R pathway–associated diseases. We report interim results of a Phase 2 study of setm...

Objective: To report hunger-related results from a Phase 2 trial of setmelanotide in patients with hypothalamic obesity (HO).Methods: A Phase 2, open-label, 16-week trial of setmelanotide in patients aged ≥6 to ≤ 40 years with body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile (aged <18 years) or ≥35 kg/m2 (aged ≥18 years) and HO caused by hypothalamic damage secondary to brain tumor, surgical resection, and/or chemothera...