Ethical thumbs-up for Metabolic obesity drug trial

Metabolic Pharmaceuticals (ASX: MBP) has gained ethics approval to begin testing its oral obesity drug in patients.

The company today announced it would begin treating patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital from next month, with the results expected by August.

The news comes almost two months after the company revealed its Advanced Obesity Drug 9604, when given intravenously, could increase fat metabolism within two hours.

In that trial, 22 clinically obese men aged 22 to 50 showed tolerance to the drug, with some also showing weight loss - despite this not being the intention of the trial.

The latest study will be a double blind trial to assess pharmacological activity of the drug when given orally.

In the study, which is to involve 16 obese men aged 35 to 60, the patients will receive capsules of four occasions over eight weeks.

"The capsules will contain one of three different oral doses of AOD9604 or placebo," the company's statement said.

"Fat metabolic parameters will be measured in the hours after each dose to provide the primary measure of oral activity."

AOD9604 is a peptide variant of gHG 177-191, a compound modelled on the fat-reducing region of the naturally occurring human growth hormone molecule discovered by Monash University researchers.

Metabolic believes the potential market for an anti-obesity drug with few side-effects would be upwards of $US10 billion.

At the time of writing, Metabolic shares were trading 20 cents higher at 82 cents.