CRB-913 obesity drug trial: overview
- CRB-913 achieved 5% weight loss after 12 weeks at 60mg
- Corbus reported fewer gastrointestinal side-effects than oral GLP-1 comparators
- The drug targets CB1 receptors to reduce hunger signals
- Previous CB1 obesity drugs raised concerns about psychiatric effects
- Growing obesity drug use continues reshaping consumer food choices
Corbus Pharmaceuticals, a biotech company, has claimed that its anti-obesity drug can lead to weight-loss with a reduction in certain side-effects compared to GLP-1s.
The drug, CRB-913, achieved weight loss of 5% at 60mg after 12 weeks in its recent drug trial, according to the company.
The drug was associated with fewer gastrointestinal side-effects than the GLP-1 drugs currently on the market, according to a cross-trial comparison with published data of currently marketed oral GLP-1 drugs.
“From a clinical practice perspective, a substantial number of patients with obesity either cannot tolerate GLP-1 receptor agonists or do not achieve an adequate therapeutic response,” said Harold Bays, medical director at Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center and Monroe Biomedical Research, clinical associate professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, and an investigator on the trial.
“These findings support the potential emergence of the first agent in a new class of obesity medications, offering a novel mechanism of action to help treat the global epidemic of obesity.”
GLP-1s have, in the past, been linked to a wide range of side effects, including gastrointestinal effects.
In response to the news, a Novo Nordisk spokesperson said “at Novo Nordisk we care deeply about patient safety. Like all medicines, treatments used for chronic conditions can have side effects, and these can vary from person to person. That is why medicines should be prescribed by, and used under the supervision of, a healthcare professional, who can consider the potential benefits and risks for each individual.”
What is CRB-913?
CRB-913, according to Corbus Pharmaceuticals, is a CB1 inverse agonist.
A CB1 receptor regulates various processes such as appetite, mood, learning, memory and pain. The activation of the CB1 receptor can lead to excessive appetite and stimulate eating.
While a GLP-1 receptor agonist mimics the action of the GLP-1 hormone by activating GLP-1 receptors, a CB1 inverse agonist reduces the influence of the CB1 receptor, making its hunger-stimulating effects less prominent.
While CB1s have been targeted to help combat obesity in the past, previous attempts have had psychological side-effects due to their action in the brain. One study suggested that CB1 antagonists, which block CB1 receptors, may be linked to anxiety and depression.
According to Corbus Pharmaceuticals, their recent trial recorded psychiatric adverse events broadly in line with those experienced by GLP-1 users. The drug, the company says, has minimal brain penetration.
Early pre-clinical data have also suggested that the drug may be able to provide weight-loss without the partial loss of muscle-mass associated with GLP-1s.
Should the food sector worry?
The uptake of GLP-1s is already vast, and reshaping the food landscape.
Worries about side-effects are not non-existent, but they have so far appeared unable to, alone, slow down the drugs’ massive explosion in popularity.
Furthermore, the food landscape has already changed. Even if GLP-1 use were to plateau tomorrow, suggests Maha Tahiri, CEO and co-founder of consultancy S2B Group, so many consumers are already using the drugs that their eating patterns and preferences have already reshaped the food sector.
So whether or not a new obesity drug can edge out GLP-1s in popularity, the change is already in motion.
