CytRx Corp. Reports Substantial Progress in RNAi-Based Drug Discovery Programs

Strategic Insights -

CytRx Corp. (CYTR) has made significant strides in its drug-discovery programs aimed at developing molecular medicines for obesity and type 2 diabetes using its proprietary RNA interference (RNAi) technologies. The company's high-throughput functional RNAi screening platform has discovered and validated approximately 30 new type 2 diabetes and obesity drug targets over the past year. This achievement solidifies CytRx's position as a leader in the field of RNAi-based drug discovery for metabolic diseases.

Key Takeaways:

  • CytRx's high-throughput RNAi screening platform has discovered and validated approximately 30 new type 2 diabetes and obesity drug targets over the past year.
  • The company has expanded its platform to include muscle and liver cells in addition to fat cells to identify and validate novel targets that function in insulin signaling and other metabolic pathways.
  • Research has shown that suppression of RIP140, a nuclear hormone corepressor that regulates fat accumulation, accelerates fat burning in animals and fat cells, and depleting RIP140 in vivo can improve responsiveness to insulin.
  • Two small-molecule leads against novel upstream AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) targets have been advanced into proof of concept animal experiments, which may be effective in lowering fatty acids and correcting insulin resistance.
  • CytRx has submitted U.S. & European patent applications covering the use of regulators of its upstream AMPK targets to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.
  • Multiple promising new chemical entities against targets that have never before been linked with type 2 diabetes have been identified.

Statistics:

  • Approximately 30 new type 2 diabetes and obesity drug targets have been discovered and validated over the past year.
  • 2 small-molecule leads against novel upstream AMPK targets have been advanced into proof of concept animal experiments.
  • The company plans to continue building a pipeline of molecular medicines against multiple novel drug targets for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Sources:

  • CytRx Corp. (CYTR) press release.
  • Steven A. Kriegsman, president and CEO of CytRx, interview.
  • Mark A. Tepper, PhD, senior vice president of drug discovery and head of CytRx's laboratory in Worcester, Massachusetts, interview.