Triheptanoin for long chain fatty acid oxidation disorders

Semaglutide is in clinical development for the treatment of overweight and obese individuals. Excess weight can place stress on both mental and physical health, leading a number of complications such as depression, low self-esteem, and increased risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Weight can be affected by a number of factors such as diet, physical activity, genetics and general health conditions, however diet and exercise are the two main contributing factors. Being overweight is reversible through lifestyle changes such as increased exercise, healthy diet and a net calorie deficit, along with help through counselling and medication. If weight is not able to be controlled, surgery may be required. Therefore, there is an unmet need for pharmacological therapies that target both weight and glucose control.

Ozanimod, administered orally, is a new sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator. Treatment with S1P modulators is believed to work by interfering with signalling pathways that contribute to tissue inflammation. If licensed, ozanimod will offer an additional treatment option for adult patients with moderate to severe UC who have had an inadequate response, lost response to, or were intolerant to conventional therapy or a tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) antagonist. In one phase II clinical trial, ozanimod at a daily dose of 1mg resulted in a slightly higher rate of clinical remission of ulcerative colitis than placebo.

Veverimer is given as an oral suspension and it works by binding to hydrochloric acid in the gastrointestinal tract and removing it from the body through excretion in the faeces. Preliminary results from early studies have demonstrated that veverimer is efficacious and safe. If licensed, veverimer could offer an additional treatment option for patients with metabolic acidosis associated with CKD.

Eladocagene exuparvovec is a type of gene replacement therapy which involves the transfer of the gene encoding the production of the enzyme needed by the brain for the formation of dopamine and serotonin. The gene therapy is injected via a surgical procedure into an area of the brain called the putamen. By increasing production of the AADC-enzyme, this therapy increases dopamine production in the target area of the brain and improves motor and cognitive symptoms in patients. If licensed, eladocagene exuparvovec will provide the first medicinal treatment option for adult and child patients with AADC-deficiency, a disease of very high unmet clinical need.