Obesity is a serious, chronic disease currently affecting about 39% of the global population, a figure that is expected to rise to over 50% by 2035, according to a recent report from the World Obesity Atlas (WOA). Single GLP-1R agonist, Semaglutide (Novo-Nordisk), recently gained market interest as an approved drug for obesity management. Now many pharmaceutical companies are pursuing a strategy of simultaneously targeting multiple receptors for additive benefits, the most attractive of these being dual GLP-1R/GIPR agonist, Tirzepatide (approved drug developed by Eli Lilly), and triple GLP-1R/GIPR/GCGR agonist, Retatrutide (in clinical development by Eli Lilly).
With anti-obesity target combination therapies quickly gaining market interest, Eurofins Discovery LeadHunter® Services now includes the obesityLITE panel, featuring a focused set of cell-based assays ideal for testing the functional activity of desired therapies against multiple disease-relevant targets in one convenient screen. This one-of-a-kind assay panel enables accelerated assessment of potency, selectivity, and mechanism of action characterisations through functional dose response profiling of small and large molecule libraries. obesityLITE includes 25 assays targeting leptin receptor and G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) implicated in metabolic regulation, including GLP-1R, GIPR, GCGR, MC4R, CCKAR, amylin, neuropeptide Y, ghrelin, and orexin receptors. The panel offers profiling in GPCR β-arrestin or second messenger assays in agonist or antagonist modes, enabling the detection of any biased compounds. The graphic highlights an example of the effectiveness of the obesityLITE panel in profiling for multi-receptor targeted therapies.
Eurofins Discovery LeadHunter Services’ robust platform offers the flexibility to create personalised screening solutions by combining panel screen with ad hoc counterscreen assays from a comprehensive set of GPCR assay services. The obesityLITE panel was launched at a cost-effective introductory panel fee so Eurofins Discovery LeadHunter Services can contribute to accelerating weight loss programme goals. Learn more at eurofinsdiscovery.com