Patient dies during Zafgen's obesity drug trial
(Reuters) - Zafgen Inc said a patient died during a late-stage trial testing the company's drug to treat Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that leads to obesity. (Source: Reuters: Health)
Source: Reuters: Health - October 19, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: healthNews Source Type: news
Boston biotech Zafgen shares down after patient dies in obesity drug trial
Shares of Zafgen plunged today after the small biotech firm said a patient in a late-stage trial of its experimental drug to treat obesity has died.
In a statement, the company said that "Zafgen (Nasdaq: ZFGN) recently learned of a patient death which occurred in the company’s ongoing double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 best PWS study of beloranib in Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder with a high rate of mortality linked to obesity and its co-morbidities. The cause… (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)
Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines - October 14, 2015 Category: Biotechnology Authors: Don Seiffert Source Type: news
Weight loss surgery offers new hope to children, adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome
Obesity is a leading cause of complications and death in children suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), yet there are few effective treatment options for these patients. In a new study, researchers found that bariatric surgery, specifically laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), resulted in substantial weight loss with no apparent adverse effect on growth in a small group of severely overweight patients with PWS. PWS is a rare genetic condition that causes a wide range of problems including a constant desire to consume food, which is driven by a permanent feeling of hunger. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - September 28, 2015 Category: Science Source Type: news
Weight loss surgery offers new hope to children and adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome
(Elsevier Health Sciences) Obesity is a leading cause of complications and death in children suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), yet there are few effective treatment options for these patients. In a new study researchers found that bariatric surgery, specifically laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), resulted in substantial weight loss with no apparent adverse effect on growth in a small group of severely overweight patients with PWS. While bariatric surgery is considered controversial for PWS, the research team is encouraged by their positive results. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - September 28, 2015 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news
Morbidly obese woman with Prader-Willi syndrome ate herself to death
Kirsty Derry, 23, of Heath Hayes, Staffordshire, died from heart failure after putting on 7st in nine months after moving into an assisted living care home Victoria Mews in Stone, Staffordshire. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - July 13, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Rhythm begins clinical trials of Setmelanotide for treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome obesity
Biopharmaceutical firm Rhythm has started two Phase II clinical trials to assess the safety and effectiveness of setmelanotide (RM-493) for rare genetic disorders of obesity. (Source: Drug Development Technology)
Source: Drug Development Technology - June 4, 2015 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
DNA changes in sperm may help explain autism
ConclusionThis study found that epigenetic changes to a father's DNA seem to be linked to an increased chance of his child developing ASD in families where there is already one child with the condition.ASD tends to run in families, and some studies have identified genes that may increase the chances of developing the condition. However, there is no clear genetic explanation in most cases of ASD. Research like this helps scientists to investigate other ways that the condition could be handed down. The study raises a lot of questions. It can't tell us what causes the epigenetic changes to the DNA, or how they affect the wa...
Source: NHS News Feed - April 15, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Genetics/stem cells Neurology Source Type: news
Prader Willi Syndrome Therapeutics Pipeline Market H1 2015 Review...
RnRMarketResearch.com adds “Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) – Pipeline Review, H1 2015” report to its store. The report provides an overview of the prader-willi syndrome’s therapeutic pipeline.(PRWeb February 13, 2015)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/prader-willi-syndrome-pws/pipeline-review-h1-2015/prweb12517133.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)
Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals - February 14, 2015 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Prader-Willi syndrome left 14-year-old Hannah unable to stop eating
Hannah Wilkinson is 14 years old and weighs 343 pounds - and she's starving. The Arizona girl suffers from a condition called Prader-Willi syndrome which means she never feels full. (Source: the Mail online | Health)
Source: the Mail online | Health - August 31, 2014 Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news
Zafgen’s Prader-Willi syndrome therapy receives orphan drug designation in Europe
The European Commission (EC) has granted orphan drug designation to US-based Zafgen for its beloranib for treating Prader-Willi syndrome. (Source: Pharmaceutical Technology)
Source: Pharmaceutical Technology - July 13, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Essentialis doses first patient in prader-willi syndrome trial
US-based pharmaceutical firm Essentialis has dosed the first patient in clinical study PC025, designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of diazoxide choline controlled release tablets (DCCR) in patients with obese Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). (Source: Drug Development Technology)
Source: Drug Development Technology - June 30, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Major breakthrough in understanding Prader-Willi Syndrome, a parental imprinting disorder
(The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have reported a major breakthrough in understanding the molecular basis for Prader-Willi syndrome, perhaps the most studied among diseases that involves defects in parental imprinting. Investigators showed that the genes expressed from the father are actually affecting and silencing the genes that are expressed from the mother -- findings that have significance for how we view parental imprinting and in particular the molecular basis of Prader-Willi syndrome. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - May 12, 2014 Category: Biology Source Type: news
Zafgen Opens A New Front In Its Obesity Strategy: Prader-Willi Syndrome
Today Zafgen announced its initial results from proof-of-concept study in patients with an obesity-related orphan disease called Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). The news was also covered by Andrew Pollack in the NY Times this morning (here) so I won’t bother with the specifics – it showed meaningful improvements for several parameters affecting PWS patients and offers real promise. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)
Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News - January 15, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Authors: Bruce Booth Source Type: news
Seeking Clues to Obesity in Rare Hunger Disorder
One drug being developed for weight loss has been tested in patients with the disorder, Prader-Willi syndrome, and other studies are in the wings. (Source: NYT)
Source: NYT - January 15, 2014 Category: Nutrition Authors: By ANDREW POLLACK Tags: Obesity Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc ARNA NASDAQ Prader-Willi Syndrome Clinical Trials Zafgen Research Source Type: news
