Our Focus

Obesity is now a worldwide epidemic. According to WHO there are more than 2.1 billion people, approximately 40% of the world’s population, now classified as overweight or obese and 5% of all deaths globally obesity related. If the prevalence of obesity continues on this current trend, almost half of the world’s adult population could be overweight or obese by 2030, imposing even greater social, personal and economic costs. In the US, obesity is estimated to effect ~ 40% of adults while the prevalence of severe obesity is rapidly approaching 10% of adults.

Obesity can significantly increase the risk of developing other serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, abnormal blood fats, psychosocial disorders, and certain types of cancers, that together are some of the leading causes of preventative and premature death.

Therapeutic options include lifestyle changes, weight-lowering drugs, or bariatric surgery depending on the severity of obesity and response to treatment. Unfortunately, most approaches offer a poor benefit/risk ratio to reduce obesity or exhibit limited efficacy.

In addition to general obesity, almost 2% of the population present with severe early onset obesity and rare genetic obesity disorders. Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is the most prevalent of these disorders, affecting 350,000-400,000 individuals worldwide. PWS is characterized by hyperphagia, an insatiable appetite and pathological drive to eat, accompanied by relentless food-seeking behavior. Life expectancy in those with PWS is severely shortened, averaging approximately 40 years.

Sebaceous hyperplasia is a common disorder, affecting adults middle age or older, with prevalence estimates suggesting at least 2% of the adult population, over 45. In these lesions, the sebaceous glands around hair follicles become enlarged. These lesions appear as small yellowish or flesh-colored bumps (usually 2 to 6mm in diameter) typically on the facial skin, especially on the forehead and nose. They are neither malignant nor painful, but do represent a significant cosmetic issue, with more than 5 lesions per person not uncommon. Sebaceous hyperplasia lesions do not resolve spontaneously, and there are no medical therapies that are approved, effective, or to our knowledge, in development, thus creating potential for a significant market opportunity for an effective treatment. In multiple animal models, topical GDD3898, even at very low doses, ablates the sebaceous cells that give rise to these lesions.