Glaceum (South Korea)

Vutiglabridin, which affects the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of food, is currently under clinical development for the treatment of obesity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low‐ and high‐fat meals on PKs of vutiglabridin in healthy male subjects. A randomized, open‐label, single‐dose, three‐period, six‐sequence crossover study was conducted. The subjects received a single oral dose of vutiglabridin 480 mg in a fasted state, 30 min after the intake of a low‐fat meal (total 500–600 kcal, fat content 100–125 kcal) and high‐fat meal (total 800–1000 kcal, fat content 500–600 kcal), with a 21‐day washout period. Geometric mean ratios (GMRs) and 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration‐time curve to the last measurable timepoint (AUClast) were calculated. After intake of low‐ and high‐fat meals, systemic exposure to vutiglabridin was increased, and the time to reach Cmax (Tmax) was delayed compared to that in the fasted state. The GMRs (90% CIs) of low‐fat meal to fasted state for Cmax and AUClast were 2.14 (1.76–2.60) and 2.15 (1.92–2.42), respectively, and those of high‐fat meal to fasted state were 3.07 (2.53–3.72) and 3.00 (2.67–3.37), respectively. The median Tmax was delayed by 1.5 h in both fed states compared with that in the fasted state. The study drug was well‐tolerated after administration in both the fed and fasted states. Food ingestion substantially increased the extent of oral vutiglabridin absorption in healthy subjects, and this enhancement increased with the fat content of the meal.

Glaceum Inc. has proposed HSG4112, a structural analogue of glabridin, as a novel anti-obesity compound. Animal studies and phase I human trials have shown that HSG4112 improves energy consumption, normalises weight, and is safe and drug-resistant. Based on these results, the company plans to conduct a phase 2a clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of HSG4112 in overweight and obese patients. A 16-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial will be conducted at five large hospitals in South Korea to assess the safety and efficacy of HSG4112 in overweight and obese patients. Participants who meet the inclusion/exclusion criteria will be assigned a subject number and randomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups (one group receiving a placebo) in a 1:1:1:1 ratio. The study's primary outcome will be to monitor the change in body weight (kg) from baseline to the end of treatment while monitoring safety and tolerability. This trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of HSG4112 in overweight and obese adults. Upon proving the safety and effectiveness of the newly developed mechanism, it might significantly improve the perception of the product among medical personnel and obese patients. Furthermore, it may aid in managing chronic conditions that require long-term treatment. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier [NCT05197556].

Vutiglabridin is a clinical-stage synthetic small molecule that is being developed for the treatment of obesity and its target proteins have not been fully identified. Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is an HDL-associated plasma enzyme that hydrolyzes diverse substrates including oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Furthermore, PON1 harbors anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacities and has been implicated as a potential therapeutic target for treating various metabolic diseases. In this study, we performed a non-biased target deconvolution of vutiglabridin using Nematic Protein Organisation Technique (NPOT) and identified PON1 as an interacting protein. We examined this interaction in detail and demonstrate that vutiglabridin binds to PON1 with high affinity and protects PON1 against oxidative damage. Vutiglabridin treatment significantly increased plasma PON1 levels and enzyme activity but not PON1 mRNA in wild-type C57BL/6J mice, suggesting that vutiglabridin modulates PON1 post-transcriptionally. We further investigated the effects of vutiglabridin in obese and hyperlipidemic LDLR-/- mice and found that it significantly increases plasma PON1 levels, while decreasing body weight, total fat mass, and plasma cholesterol levels. Overall, our results demonstrate that PON1 is a direct, interacting target of vutiglabridin, and that the modulation of PON1 by vutiglabridin may provide benefits for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and obesity.