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Energesis and Akston Sign Partnership Agreement for Companion Animal Obesity Drug Development
August 24, 2024 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a human biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of drugs to treat obesity and related metabolic diseases, and Akston Biosciences Corporation, dedicated to accelerating the biologics revolution in animal health, today announced a strategic partnership to treat obesity in companion animals by enhancing their natural ability to burn more calories and increase energy use.
The underlying technology leverages recent scientific insights in brown adipose tissue (BAT) biology to generate heat, burn calories, and reduce overall body fat without reducing muscle mass, contributing to healthy weight loss. In the partnership, Akston has received an exclusive option to license Energesis’ biologic BAT recruitment therapy for companion animals and will serve as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) to further develop and produce the therapeutic at its facility in Beverly, MA.
“Partnering with Akston to further develop and manufacture our BAT Recruitment Therapy holds the promise of treating obesity in companion animals while bolstering a future for human therapies of the same kind,” said Brian Freeman, MD, CEO of Energesis. “Brown adipose tissue recruitment therapy is a major advance in the treatment of obesity. The current approaches, such as Ozempic, reduce appetite, and in doing so cause loss of needed muscle mass and a lowering of metabolic rate, leading to rebound weight gain. Enhancing energy use, however, leads to healthy weight loss without rebound. Given the great need for new approaches beyond appetite suppression in companion animals, we are very excited to partner with Akston to move this technology into the veterinary space.”
“Energesis and Akston share an appetite for innovation as we seek to develop an array of new, differentiated products to treat obesity in pets,” said Todd Zion, PhD, President & CEO of Akston Biosciences. “This partnership exemplifies Akston’s dedication to advancing the AVMA One Health Initiative, reflecting our commitment to translational medicine. By integrating innovations across human and veterinary sciences, we aim to contribute to a healthier, more interconnected world where the well-being of people, animals, and the environment are seamlessly linked.”
About Energesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals is developing therapeutics for obesity by targeting brown adipose tissue (BAT). The Company is leveraging recent scientific insights in BAT biology to increase the body’s ability to burn stored fat and lower insulin resistance. Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. and the rest of the industrialized world, and now represents the single largest cause of preventable death. While currently available appetite suppressants are effective at reducing weight, they are associated with a host of undesirable effects including loss of muscle mass and a reduction in the body’s metabolic rate. Energesis is developing a new generation of biologic and small molecule drugs for human use addressing these and other key unmet needs in the obesity space. Additional information is available at www.energesispharma.com.
About Akston Biosciences
Akston Biosciences Corporation is dedicated to accelerating the biologics revolution in Animal Health by in-licensing, inventing, developing, and manufacturing breakthrough protein therapeutics for veterinary use. Its vertically integrated capabilities, including a kilogram-scale cGMP manufacturing facility dedicated to animal health, can significantly reduce the time and cost from discovery to commercial introduction. Akston leverages its Ambifect® Fc-fusion protein platform to create innovative, extended-duration biologics and therapeutic vaccines. Its facilities are located in Beverly, MA. Additional information is available at www.akstonbio.com.
"Burn More Calories" with Brian Freeman, MD
November 15, 2023 – Brian Freeman, CEO of Energesis Pharmaceuticals, in conversation with Sal Daher of Angel Invest Boston.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals Receives US Patent Providing Key Protection of Its Discovery Platform
April 12, 2022 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals, a developer of novel therapeutics that create new brown adipocytes and increase energy expenditure for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders, has recently been granted US patent 11,299,710-B2. The patent, which adds to the company's intellectual property estate covering its proprietary discovery technology, protects methods of discovering novel compounds creating human brown adipocytes and methods of detecting cellular differentiation into new bona fide human brown fat. With this patent the company adds a key piece to its patent estate protecting its novel, uniquely useful discovery platform.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals Awarded SBIR Phase 2 Grant from NIH
June 18, 2021 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals has been awarded a Phase 2 SBIR grant of $1,988,528 from NIH to continue its work on in vivo proof of concept and target identification using small molecule stimulators of brown adipogenesis.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals Awarded START Grant from MassVentures
May 1, 2021 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals has been awarded a START grant from MassVentures to support the development of its drug candidates for obesity. START grants assist Massachusetts-based startups in transforming research from SBIR and STTR contracts into viable businesses and aid in the commercialization of technologies.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals Awarded SBIR Grant from NIH
June 30, 2020 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals was awarded a Phase 1 SBIR grant from NIH for $295,420 to support its work on the development of novel brown adipocyte recruiters for the treatment of obesity.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals Receives US Patent 10,301,595-B2 Further Protecting the Company's Novel Discovery System
May 28, 2019 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals, a company developing novel therapeutics that enhance brown adipocyte mass for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders, today announced that it has recently been granted US patent 10,301,595-B2. The patent, the company's third issued US patent covering its proprietary discovery technology, protects methods of isolating the critical human brown adipocyte progenitor cells at the core of the company's discovery efforts, as well as methods of differentiation and cell transplantation. This patent further strengthens the company's IP estate protecting its novel, uniquely useful discovery platform.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals Awarded SBIR Phase 2 Grant from NIH
September 18, 2017 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals was awarded a Phase 2 SBIR grant totaling $1,775,542 from NIH to support its work on optimization and pre-clinical studies of a protein therapeutic for recruiting brown adipocytes.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals Awarded SBIR Direct-to-Phase 2 Grant from NIH
February 9, 2017 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals was awarded a Direct-to-Phase 2 SBIR grant from NIH of $1,781,519 to support its work on establishing in vivo proof of concept of brown adipogenesis using previously-approved drugs.
Energesis Pharmaceuticals Receives US Patent Protecting Proprietary Discovery System
August 9, 2016 – Energesis Pharmaceuticals, a developer of new therapeutics that recruit brown adipocytes for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders, today announced that it has recently been granted US patent 9,410,945-B2. The patent, the company's second issued US patent covering its proprietary discovery technology, protects compositions of the human brown adipocytes at the core of the platform as well as methods of differentiation and confirming differentiation in response to hit compounds. This patent further strengthens the company's ability to protect its novel, uniquely useful discovery platform.
Selected Publications
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O. Boss and S. R. Farmer. Recruitment of brown adipose tissue as a therapy for obesity-associated diseases. Front. Endocrin. 3:14. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2012.00014, 2012.
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Russell AP, Crisan M, Léger B, Corselli M, McAinch AJ, O'Brien PE, Cameron-Smith D, Péault B, Casteilla L, Giacobino JP. Brown adipocyte progenitor population is modified in obese and diabetic skeletal muscle. Int J Obes (Lond). 2012 Jan;36(1):155-8.
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O. Boss, L. Lehr, and J.-P. Giacobino. Adipose drug targets for obesity treatment. In: Obesity: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Prevention, 2nd Edition. Eds.: D. Bagchi and H. G. Preuss. CRC Press (Boca Raton, FL), 2012. (CRC Press series in Modern Nutrition Science)
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Crisan M, Casteilla L, Lehr L, Carmona OMC, Paoloni-Giacobino A, Yap S, Sun B, Leger B, Logar A, Penicaud L, Schrauwen P, Cameron-Smith D, Russell AP, Peault B, Giacobino JP (2008) A reservoir of brown adipocyte progenitors in human skeletal muscle. Stem Cells 26:2425-33.