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Aim: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple doses of orforglipron (LY3502970), an oral, non‐peptide glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist (GLP‐1RA) in healthy participants. Materials and Methods: This was a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, Phase 1 study. Overtly healthy adults aged 18 to 65 years with body mass index of 20 to 40 kg/m2 and glycated haemoglobin concentration of 47.5 mmol/mol (<6.5%) were eligible. In Part A, participants received single‐dose orforglipron, with four cohorts receiving escalating doses (0.3‐6 mg). In Part B, participants received 4 weeks of daily repeated oral orforglipron with doses escalating weekly to four different final target doses (2‐24 mg). Results: Ninety‐two participants enrolled and received at least one study drug dose (32 in Part A [mean age 43.4 years] and 60 in Part B [mean age 42.5 years]). The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal tract‐related. Pharmacokinetics were approximately dose proportional, and the mean t1/2 was 24.6 to 35.3 hours after a single dose (0.3‐6 mg). On Day 28, the mean t1/2 was 48.1 to 67.5 hours across the dose range (2‐24 mg). Substantial reductions in body weight of up to 5.4 kg were observed after 4 weeks in orforglipron‐treated participants, compared to a reduction of 2.4 kg with placebo (P < 0.05). Orforglipron decreased fasting glucose levels across Days 1 to 28, and gastric emptying was delayed on Day 28. Conclusions: Orforglipron's long half‐life (25‐68 hours) allows once‐daily oral dosing, without water and food restrictions. Orforglipron had a pharmacodynamic and safety profile similar to that of injectable GLP‐1RAs, which supports continued clinical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To report the results of a Phase 1b trial evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of orforglipron (LY3502970), an oral, non‐peptide glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist (GLP‐1RA), in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and Methods: This was a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled Phase 1 study evaluating five different dosing regimens. The first group established that weekly dose escalation of the daily doses of orforglipron was generally well tolerated. This enabled a parallel‐arm design for the four groups following. Participants were randomized 3:1 to daily doses of orforglipron or placebo for 12 weeks. Eligible participants with T2D were aged 18 to 70 years and had glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels ≥53.0 mmol/mol (7.0%) and ≤91.3 mmol/mol (10.5%). Results: A total of 51 participants received orforglipron and 17 received placebo. In the placebo and orforglipron groups, respectively, baseline HbA1c was 8.1% and 8.0%, and baseline body weight was 90.3 and 88.4 kg. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal‐related, and occurred early in treatment, similar to findings with other GLP‐1RAs. At Week 12, mean t1/2 ranged from 29 to 49 hours. Mean HbA1c change ranged from −1.5% to −1.8% across orforglipron doses, versus −0.4% with placebo, and body weight change was −0.24 to −5.8 kg across orforglipron doses, versus 0.5 kg with placebo. Conclusions: Orforglipron treatment resulted in meaningful reductions in HbA1c and body weight, with an adverse event profile consistent with that of other GLP‐1RAs. Orforglipron may provide a safe and effective once‐daily oral treatment alternative to injectable GLP‐1RAs or peptide oral formulations without water and food restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One approach of modern drug discovery is to identify agents that enhance or diminish signal transduction cascades in various cell types and tissues by modulating the activity of GPCRs. This strategy has resulted in the development of new medicines to treat many conditions, including cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders, HIV/AIDS, certain forms of cancer and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These successes justify further pursuit of GPCRs as disease targets and provide key learning that should help guide identifying future therapeutic agents. This report reviews the current landscape of GPCR drug discovery with emphasis on efforts aimed at developing new molecules for treating T2DM and obesity. We analyse historical efforts to generate GPCR-based drugs to treat metabolic disease in terms of causal factors leading to success and failure in this endeavour.Linked Articles: This article is part of a themed section on Molecular Pharmacology of GPCRs. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.21/issuetoc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The LHX3 transcription factor plays critical roles in pituitary and nervous system development. Mutations in the human LHX3 gene cause severe hormone deficiency diseases. The gene produces two mRNAs which can be translated to three protein isoforms. The LHX3a protein contains a central region with LIM domains and a homeodomain, and a carboxyl terminus with the major transactivation domain. LHX3b is identical to LHX3a except that it has a different amino terminus. M2-LHX3 lacks the amino terminus and LIM domains of LHX3a/b. In vitro experiments have demonstrated these three proteins have different biochemical and gene regulatory properties. Here, to investigate the effects of overexpression of LHX3 in vivo, the alpha glycoprotein subunit (αGSU) promoter was used to produce LHX3a, LHX3b, and M2-LHX3 in the pituitary glands of transgenic mice. Alpha GSU-beta galactosidase animals were generated as controls. Male αGSU-LHX3a and αGSU-LHX3b mice are infertile and die at a young age as a result of complications associated with obstructive uropathy including uremia. These animals have a reduced number of pituitary gonadotrope cells, low circulating gonadotropins, and possible sex hormone imbalance. Female αGSU-LHX3a and αGSU-LHX3b transgenic mice are viable but have reduced fertility. By contrast, αGSU-M2-LHX3 mice and control mice expressing beta galactosidase are reproductively unaffected. These overexpression studies provide insights into the properties of LHX3 during pituitary development and highlight the importance of this factor in reproductive physiology. J. Cell. Physiol. 212: 105–117, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]