Efficacy and mechanism of action of CB1R inverse agonists for enhancing insulin secretion and for preventing metabolic stress and cytokine-induced ?-cell death in human islets

Inversago and the Prentki Laboratory at CR-CHUM will collaborate to evaluate new generation Cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1) blockers for the treatment and/or prevention of type-1 and type-2 diabetes. Previous generations of CB1 blockers have shown their promise in treating several features of the metabolic syndrome, including obesity, type-2 diabetes and liver diseases. However, they were plagued with important psychiatric adverse effects which eventually caused the termination of all development and commercial efforts. Inversago’s drug candidates have shown high potency towards the same target (CB1 receptors) but are not providing brain exposure, and therefore should not provoke psychiatric side effects.
Recent research in the field of Type-1 diabetes has suggested that CB1 receptors located in pancreatic beta cells could be linked to improved insulin production and secretion, as well as beta-cell proliferation. As such, it is of interest to evaluate Inversago’s candidates in the research laboratory of the diabetes world expert Prof. Marc Prentki to evaluate their potential to treat type-1 diabetes.

Faculty Supervisor:

Marc Prentki;S.R. Murthy Madiraju

Student:

Partner:

Inversago Pharma

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: