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Researchers from the Imabis Foundation in Malaga are coordinating the European 'Reprobesity' project, which aims to discover new drug indications and biomarkers for treating obesity associated with pathologies such as diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk factors.
The research, which has a budget of €7.2 million, forms part of the 7th Framework Program in which three scientific teams are participating from Inserm (France), the University of Mainz (Germany) and the University of Bologna (Italy), as well as the company Vivia Biotech (with offices in Malaga) and the University of Santiago de Compostela.
'Reprobesity', which will end in 2011, focuses on identifying the most effective drugs on adipose tissue samples when discontinuing, causing an increase in fat consumption in order to generate energy (thermogenesis).
The project is also developing another line of research in which experts are attempting to detail what biomarkers are participating in the various processes that lead to obesity, using blood samples, in order to create a more effective treatment.
“We are testing drugs that have shown to be more effective and less toxic in animal models. Once the results are known, they will be selected to go forward to a clinical phase”, said the project’s coordinator, Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca.
The Spanish company Vivia Biotech, a pioneer in research of new drug indications (reprofiling) in patient samples, will be responsible for providing the data. In addition, the effect of some 2,000 drugs will be analyzed in 24 hours using the ExviTech technology platform to identify the most effective, making it the shortest therapeutic timeframe ever between the patient and treatment, according to the company’s chairman and founder, Joan Ballesteros.
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4/3/09
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