NLRP3 for obesity: Real or mirage?
Competitors hope better brain penetration will lead to weight loss despite the Phase II miss of Ventyx’s VTX3232
In February 2024, an unexpected preclinical finding — NLRP3 inhibition led to monotherapy effects in obesity models — sent biotechs racing to test the theory in the clinic. Eighteen months later, with the first Phase II data revealed, serious doubts have emerged about whether the anti-inflammatory mechanism can drive weight loss in humans. Still, there may be a role for the class in bolstering the cardioprotective benefits of other weight loss therapies.
Nearly two years ago, several inflammation-focused biotechs pivoted to become obesity plays overnight after researchers at NodThera Ltd. published preclinical data in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics showing NLRP3 inhibitor NT-0796 led to 19% body weight reduction at 28 days in a humanized transgenic obese mouse model. ...