Modified fatty acids as therapeutic agents in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome

Obesity and obesity-related disorders, often referred to as the metabolic syndrome, affect an increasing part of the population in Europe, USA and even several developing countries. This development is reflected in a high prevalence cardiovascular disease , stroke and other atheroscleroctic symptoms which are a major cause for loss of productivity, diminished quality of life, chronic illness and death. The percentage of obese citizens in Europe is increasing, suggesting that obesity-related diseases in Eu rope will increase over the next decades. Strategies for the prevention of the metabolic syndrome and the treatment of the many related diseases will include the development of novel, effective drugs affecting the lipid disorders that are an inherent part of the metabolic syndrome. Modified fatty acids have the potential to beneficial modulate such lipid disorders and the sulfur–containing tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) has been found to change the plasma lipid profile from atherogenic to cardioprotecti ve. TTA has been evaluated in both preclinical and clinical studies which have demonstrated that TTA affects lipid metabolism and will decrease plasma lipids in humans. Future clinical development of TTA will be focused on a single therapeutic indicati on, and the primary target is envisaged to be subjects with the metabolic syndrome. Novel molecular entities with improved biological potency will further be developed based on the rationale that they are slowly catabolized and are potent ligands for impo rtant transcription factors. At the present stage of development of TTA clinical dose finding studies to document therapeutic effects in appropriate patient populations are vital for the development of a commercial drug. Discussions are presently ong oing with potential partners with the aim of reaching an agreement with an R&D based company with manufacturing and marketing capability with interests in co-development or licensing of thia fatty acids.