What Causes Overweight and Obesity?

Health Conditions

Some hormone problems may cause overweight and obesity, such as underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), Cushing’s syndrome, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Underactive thyroid is a condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t make enough thyroid hormone. Lack of thyroid hormone will slow down your metabolism and cause weight gain. You’ll also feel tired and weak.

Cushing’s syndrome is a condition in which the body’s adrenal glands make too much of the hormone cortisol. Cushing’s syndrome also can develop if a person takes high doses of certain medicines, such as prednisone, for long periods.

People who have Cushing’s syndrome gain weight, have upper-body obesity, a rounded face, fat around the neck, and thin arms and legs.

PCOS is a condition that affects about 5–10 percent of women of childbearing age. Women who have PCOS often are obese, have excess hair growth, and have reproductive problems and other health issues. These problems are caused by high levels of hormones called androgens.

Read the entire article at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/causes

Research Study: An Open Label Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of COR-003 (2S, 4R-ketoconazole) in the Treatment of Endogenous Cushing’s Syndrome

Objectives:         

The purpose of this study is to test the effects of different doses of COR-003 on people with Cushing’s syndrome (CS) primarily by measuring the cortisol levels in urine and secondarily by measuring other health parameters such as blood pressure, weight, and liver function. This study is also being conducted to see if there is any harm caused when using COR-003.

This study is an open label study. That means both the health providers and the participants in the study are aware of the drug or treatment being given.

Eligibility:

Adult Subjects (18 years or older) with elevated levels of cortisol due to endogenous CS.

Confirmed diagnosis of persistent or recurrent CS (with or without therapy) or newly diagnosed disease, if subjects are not candidates for surgery. CS will be defined according to the criteria in the guidelines for diagnosis of CS (Nieman 2008).

Women who are pregnant or lactating are not eligible for this study.

Individuals with other health conditions or diagnoses may not be eligible for this study.

These and other eligibility criteria are best reviewed with a doctor who is participating in the study. You can also get more detailed eligibility information about the study by clicking here to visit http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Study Design:

  • The study will begin with a screening period to make sure subjects are eligible to participate in the study.
  • After the screening period, subjects who are eligible for participation will each be given several different doses of COR-003, to be taken orally in tablet form.
  • After an individualized dose has been selected, participants will take COR-003 for six months.
  • Finally, participants will continue in the study for an additional six months at doses to be determined by the study doctor.

 

Throughout the study, participants will meet regularly with a study doctor and will take part in a variety of medical tests to make sure they are doing well and to see if COR-003 is working.

Participants in the study should be sure they have the time to participate. Participants will generally be followed for over a year:

Study Locations

The study is currently taking place in several places around the world (United States, Belgium, France, Israel, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden).
Additional information on the study can be found at clinicaltrials.gov through this link.

Study sponsor: Cortendo AB

For more information, please contact:

Jim Ellis at Cortendo AB tel: +1 (610) 254-9245 or jellis@cortendo.com

 

Call for Papers: Cushing’s Syndrome: New Evidence and Future Challenges

Call for Papers

Cushing’s syndrome is a rare and potentially lethal disease which still represents a challenge for the endocrinologists, being characterized by elevated morbidity even long-term after the remission of hypercortisolism. Several diagnostic issues prevent an early recognition of the disease and rate of recurrence is significantly high after surgical, medical, or radiotherapy management.

Recent advances of biology and medicine are improving our knowledge on genetics and pathophysiology of this disease, both at the pituitary and adrenal level. New therapeutic agents are currently under investigation and an impelling need for efficacy and safety studies is rising in the endocrinology community. At the same time, the role of the “old” agents in the clinical practice is under debate and deserves a thorough analysis on larger series than those currently available. Likewise, the need for specific treatment of comorbidities is a clinical question which still remains unsolved.

We invite authors to submit original research and review articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the molecular pathology underlying Cushing’s syndrome, the development of strategies to diagnose and treat this condition in adults and children, and the evaluation of outcomes.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Advances in genetics of Cushing’s syndrome
  • Diagnostic issues in Cushing’s syndrome
  • Novel paradigms for treatment of Cushing’s syndrome
  • Role of the “old” pharmacological agents in the treatment of Cushing’s syndrome
  • Persistent increased mortality and morbidity after “cure” of Cushing’s syndrome
  • Role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of Cushing’s syndrome
  • Cushing’s syndrome as model of metabolic derangements
  • Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of paediatric Cushing’s syndrome
Manuscript Due Friday, 8 May 2015
First Round of Reviews Friday, 31 July 2015
Publication Date Friday, 25 September 2015

Lead Guest Editor

  • Elena Valassi, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Guest Editors

From http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/si/156126/cfp/

Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease) – Pipeline Review, H2 2014

Global Markets Direct’s, ‘Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease) – Pipeline Review, H2 2014’, provides an overview of the Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease)’s therapeutic pipeline.

This report provides comprehensive information on the therapeutic development for Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease), complete with comparative analysis at various stages, therapeutics assessment by drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type, along with latest updates, and featured news and press releases. It also reviews key players involved in the therapeutic development for Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease) and special features on late-stage and discontinued projects.

Global Markets Direct’s report features investigational drugs from across globe covering over 20 therapy areas and nearly 3,000 indications. The report is built using data and information sourced from Global Markets Direct’s proprietary databases, Company/University websites, SEC filings, investor presentations and featured press releases from company/university sites and industry-specific third party sources, put together by Global Markets Direct’s team. Drug profiles/records featured in the report undergoes periodic updation following a stringent set of processes that ensures that all the profiles are updated with the latest set of information. Additionally, processes including live news & deals tracking, browser based alert-box and clinical trials registries tracking ensure that the most recent developments are captured on a real time basis.

The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. It strengthens R&D pipelines by identifying new targets and MOAs to produce first-in-class and best-in-class products.

Note*: Certain sections in the report may be removed or altered based on the availability and relevance of data for the indicated disease.

Scope

– The report provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease)
– The report reviews key pipeline products under drug profile section which includes, product description, MoA and R&D brief, licensing and collaboration details & other developmental activities
– The report reviews key players involved in the therapeutics development for Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease) and enlists all their major and minor projects
– The report summarizes all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects
– A review of the Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease) products under development by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources
– Pipeline products coverage based on various stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages
– A detailed assessment of monotherapy and combination therapy pipeline projects
– Coverage of the Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease) pipeline on the basis of target, MoA, route of administration and molecule type
– Latest news and deals relating related to pipeline products

Reasons to buy

– Provides strategically significant competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D development strategies
– Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage
– Develop strategic initiatives by understanding the focus areas of leading companies
– Identify and understand important and diverse types of therapeutics under development for Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease)
– Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players of the most promising pipeline
– Devise corrective measures for pipeline projects by understanding Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (Cushing’s Disease) pipeline depth and focus of Indication therapeutics
– Develop and design in-licensing and out-licensing strategies by identifying prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and scope
– Modify the therapeutic portfolio by identifying discontinued projects and understanding the factors that drove them from pipeline

Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p02458443-summary/view-report.html

Cushing’s Syndrome – Epidemiology Forecast to 2023

It’s NOT as rare as they thought…

Epidemiologists forecast an increase in the diagnosed prevalent cases of CS in the 6MM, from 32,634 diagnosed prevalent cases in 2013 to 34,573 diagnosed prevalent cases in 2023, with an annual growth rate of 0.59% in the forecast period. In 2023, the US will have the highest number of diagnosed prevalent cases of CS, with 17,162 diagnosed prevalent cases.

For this analysis, The publisher epidemiologists used data available from Orphanet to construct the 10-year epidemiological forecast for the diagnosed prevalent cases of CS, Cushing’s disease, ectopic ACTH CS, adrenal adenoma CS, and adrenal carcinoma CS in the 6MM. The forecast provides the age- and sex-specific diagnosed prevalent cases of CS subtypes in the six markets, providing a comprehensive view of CS. In addition, this analysis provided detailed, clinically relevant segmentations for Cushing’s disease in order to improve the management of the disease.

Scope

  • The Cushing’s syndrome (CS) EpiCast Report provides an overview of the risk factors, comorbidities, and the global and historical epidemiological trends for CS in the six major markets (6MM) (US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and UK). The report also includes a 10-year epidemiological forecast for the diagnosed prevalent cases of CS, Cushing’s disease, ectopic- adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) CS, adrenal adenoma CS, and adrenal carcinoma CS segmented by age (18 to =85 years) and sex in these markets.
  • The CS epidemiology report is written and developed by Masters- and PhD-level epidemiologists.
  • The EpiCast Report is in-depth, high-quality, transparent and market-driven, providing expert analysis of disease trends in the 6MM.

Read the article here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20141103006612/en/Research-Markets-EpiCast-Report-Cushings-Syndrome–#.VFgvl5PF9HA

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