Australian researchers discover new appetite regulating gene.

Autogen Limited (Melbourne, Australia) announces Australian obesity researchers have discovered an important previously unknown pathway and protein that regulates appetite and weight. The research was chosen as one of the highlights of the program at America's major obesity congress. At the American National Obesity Congress in Charleston, South Carolina, the Australian research team revealed for the first time a new and previously unknown gene that is involved in the control of appetite. This discovery opens up new opportunities to develop a safe drug for treating obesity.

The leader of Autogen's Scientific team, professor Greg Collier, head of the metabolic research unit at Deakin University (Victoria, Australia), said "The discovery was due to a combination of the latest genetic technology and the availability of the Israeli sand rat, a unique animal model of obesity and adult-onset diabetes. The similarities between the development of metabolic disturbances in the sand rat and humans make the Israeli sand rat the perfect model to explore the underlying genetic reasons for human obesity and diabetes."

The Autogen team is the first in the world to exploit this model for the discovery of human genes. Autogen has access to one of only two active colonies of the Israeli sand rat in the world.

The scientific team at the metabolic research unit has been very successful in discovering a number of new genes linked to the development of obesity and diabetes, the most exciting being the recent discovery of the "beacon" gene. The beacon gene produces a protein (code-named-"Beacon"), which appears to act via the hypothalamus, the brain area that controls appetite.

Professor Collier said: "Our breakthrough resulted from studies examining gene expression profiles in the hypothalamus of a range of lean and obese sand rats. We found that beacon was present in rats with higher body fat and body weight. Beacon protein was then injected into the Israeli sand rats and their food intake and weight increased. We now know that the beacon gene is present in humans."

"The competition to discover new molecules and targets that may provide major advances for the development of new therapeutics and perhaps preventive products for diabetes is intense and international," stated Dr. Claude Bouchard, president elect of the International Association of the Study of Obesity, and a director of Autogen. "The recent progress made by Drs. Collier and Zimmet shows that they are well ahead of the field in this world-wide competition."

Autogen has lodged patent applications for genes and intellectual property.

Autogen has exclusive rights to this and other patents arising from the research. Last year, Autogen announced a strategic alliance with the major European pharmaceutical company, Lipha SA, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) for this project. Lipha will collaborate to develop pharmaceuticals for the treatment of obesity based on the gene discoveries from the Israeli sand rat model.

Last month, Autogen announced that Lipha SA, have agreed to take a placement of 15% of the companies shares, and in addition inject $US6 million over 6 years into another Autogen project based on a human gene program for obesity and diabetes. This project is utilizing the expertise of the International Diabetes Institute (Melbourne, Australia) and a unique population, sera and phenotype database under the direction of Professor Paul Zimmet.

Autogen believes the discovery of Beacon and the pathway it regulates opens up new opportunities for drug development for the regulation of body weight.

Obesity is a major world epidemic. National statistics indicate that there are over 50 % of Americans and 40% of Australian adults are now overweight. Obesity treatment is estimated to be at least $US6 billion dollars annually worldwide. Recent withdrawal of several drugs for treating obesity has left sufferers with few options for pharmaco-therapy. The American market for pharmaceutical products for obesity could grow to $US4 billion by 2010.

Americans currently spend an estimated $US33 billion a year on diet products and services, with obesity drugs sales in 1997 totaling about $US1 billion. Autogen is a leader in the field of diabetes and obesity genomics. Other Autogen projects include pursuing a cure for Type I diabetes through pancreatic islet cell technology. In addition, the company has recently signed a licensing agreement with Kyokuto Pharmaceutical Industrial Co. Ltd. (Japan) for a new environmentally friendly immunoassay test for the detection and classification of Insulin-dependant (Type I) diabetes. The blood test can predict diabetes up to 10 years before the onset of symptoms.