Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Rare genetic causes of obesity result from disruption of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway, a regulator of energy balance. Patients with obesity due to variants in multiple genes, including POMC, LEPR, SRC1, and SH2B1, have shown weight and hunger reductions after treatment with setmelanotide, an MC4R agonist. DAYBREAK is a Phase 2 trial of setmelanotide in patients with additional gene variants with suggested relevance to the...

Introduction: The MC4R pathway is the principal regulator of mammalian energy balance through its modulation of energy intake and energy expenditure. Variants in genes associated with the MC4R pathway can result in rare genetic diseases of obesity. Clinical data in patients with certain genetic defects in the MC4R pathway indicate that setmelanotide, an MC4R agonist, may effectively reduce weight and hunger in scientifically rationalized obese subpopulations in which MC4R-path...