Study: Metabolic effects of tesamorelin in obese subjects with reduced growth hormone secretion

Montreal, QC — Theratechnologies Inc. announced that results of a study entitled Metabolic Effects of a Growth Hormone-Releasing Factor in Obese Subjects with Reduced Growth Hormone Secretion. The study results were presented June 26, 2012 at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society in Houston, Texas. Theratechnologies is a Montreal based specialty pharmaceutical company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The placebo-controlled study demonstrated that, among obese subjects with relative reductions in growth hormone (GH), tesamorelin selectively reduces visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in the abdominal area, without significant effects on subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Tesamorelin was also shown to improve triglycerides, C-reactive protein and carotid intima medial thickness (cIMT), without aggravating glucose. These data suggest a functional consequence of reduced GH secretion in obesity and demonstrate an improved cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profile resulting from tesamorelin. In addition, this study suggests, more broadly, that strategies to selectively reduce VAT and spare SAT may improve CVD risk in obesity. The results occurred in the context of a dosing algorithm designed to keep insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) within the normal physiological range. Tesamorelin is not approved for the treatment of obese patients with reduced growth hormone secretion.

The complete abstract is available at http://www.abstracts2view.com/endo/

The study was conducted at the Harvard Clinical Translational Science Centre at the Massachusetts General Hospital by Dr. Steven K. Grinspoon and was sponsored with grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).Theratechnologies was not involved in the undertaking of the study other than providing tesamorelin to the Massachusetts General Hospital.