What Causes Overweight and Obesity?

Posted on November 28, 2014 by MaryO

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

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

Posted on November 13, 2014 by MaryO

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/

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

Posted on November 13, 2014 by MaryO

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

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Cushing’s Syndrome – Epidemiology Forecast to 2023

Posted on November 3, 2014 by MaryO

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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Cortendo gains $11M for late-stage Cushing’s study

Posted on October 31, 2014 by MaryO

Cortendo is coming to America. Founded in Sweden, the little biotech has a new CEO who’s building the executive team in the Philadelphia area. And he’s dropping plans for a listing on the Oslo exchange in favor of a U.S. IPO after raising $11 million in bridge financing.

Cortendo CEO Matthew Pauls

The big idea at Cortendo is to take an existing drug–ketoconazole, which is used off-label for Cushing’s disease–and tinker with it to make it safer and more effective. HealthCap, the Third Swedish National Pension Fund (“AP3”), Storebrand and Arctic Fund Management are putting up the venture round. And their money is funding an on-going Phase III study designed to make their case with the FDA.

“It is a nice bridge to the U.S. which also allows us from funding perspective to drive that critically important Phase III to closure,” says CEO Matthew Pauls, an ex-Shire ($SHPG) and Insmed exec from the commercial side of the industry who joined the company a couple of months ago.

Cushing’s is characterized by elevated levels of cortisol, which trigger a host of serious and potentially lethal side effects. The new drug–dubbed COR-003–is designed to hit key enzymes in the cortisol synthesis pathway, using a more targeted segment of ketoconazole.

“We took basically the better half of the molecule and are using it explicitly for Cushing’s syndrome,” says the CEO. Now Cortendo–which is run by a core team of 6, which Pauls plans to expand–will drive for final late-stage data in 2017, setting up a prospective application with the FDA that could allow the company to proceed with plans to create its own commercial operations.

There are about 20,000 to 25,000 Cushing’s patients in the U.S., adds Pauls, with maybe 30,000 to 40,000 in Europe. About half of those patients can expect surgery to address the disease, with the rest candidates for medicinal therapies.

The U.S. represents the company’s largest market opportunity, says Pauls. So it makes sense to drop the Oslo listing in favor of a U.S. exchange. Exactly when that filing could come and where, he adds, hasn’t been determined yet.

– here’s the release

From http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/little-cortendo-gains-11m-late-stage-cushings-study-hatches-us-ipo-plans/2014-10-30

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