BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gelesis, a biotechnology company developing first-in-class mechanotherapeutics to treat obesity and other chronic diseases related to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, today announced that the Company will deliver an oral presentation and three poster presentations at ObesityWeek 2018, the annual combined congress of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society in Nashville, Tennessee, from November 11-15, 2018. The presentations will share data from the pivotal study of Gelesis100, an oral, non-systemic approach to weight loss, including data regarding early predictors of clinically meaningful weight loss.
“We are pleased to be able to present key clinical data from the pivotal study of our lead investigational product for weight loss, Gelesis100,” said Harry L. Leider, MD, MBA, FACPE, Chief Medical Officer of Gelesis. “There is a tremendous need for new approaches to address overweight and obesity, and we look forward to participating in the preeminent scientific exchange around this disease that affects more than 130 million Americans.”
Details of the presentations are as follows:
Monday, November 12, 2018: 1:15pm ET-2:45pm ET, Innovative Emerging Pharmacotherapy and Devices Forum
- Clinical Potential of a Novel Superabsorbent Hydrogel Technology Platform; Elaine Chiquette, PharmD, Chief Scientific Officer, Gelesis
Wednesday, November 14, 2018: 12:00pm ET-1:30pm ET, poster presentations
- Non-Systemic, Orally-Administered Hydrogel (Gelesis100) in Overweight or Obesity: Pivotal GLOW Study; Frank L. Greenway, MD, Medical Director and Professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System (T-P-3267)
- Early Weight Loss With Gelesis100 Predicts Clinically Significant Weight Loss in the GLOW Study; Louis J. Aronne, MD, FACP, Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research, Weill-Cornell Medical College (T-P-3268)
- Impact of Gelesis100 on Insulin Resistance in Overweight or Obesity in the GLOW Study; Ken Fujioka, MD, Director of the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center and the Center for Weight Management, Scripps Clinic (T-P-3353)
About Gelesis100
Gelesis100 is a non-systemic,
superabsorbent hydrogel in development for the potential treatment of
overweight or obesity. It is made from two naturally derived building
blocks, modified cellulose cross-linked with citric acid, that create a
three-dimensional matrix. Orally administered in capsules with water
before a meal, Gelesis100 particles rapidly absorb water in the stomach
and homogenously mix with ingested foods. When hydrated, Gelesis100
occupies about one-fourth of the average stomach volume. Rather than
forming one large mass, it creates thousands of small individual gel
pieces with the elasticity (firmness) of solid ingested foods (e.g.,
vegetables) without caloric value. Gelesis100 maintains its
three-dimensional structure and mechanical properties during transit
through the small intestine. Once it arrives in the large intestine, the
hydrogel is partially broken down by enzymes and loses its
three-dimensional structure along with most of its absorption capacity.
The released water is reabsorbed in the large intestine, and the
remaining cellulosic material is expelled in the feces. Gelesis100 is
considered a medical device because it achieves its primary intended
purpose through mechanical modes of action consistent with
mechanobiology constructs. Gelesis100 received a Non-Significant Risk
(NSR) designation by the FDA.
This investigational product has been studied in more than 450 patients (excluding patients treated by placebo) across five clinical studies throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe and in these studies has shown weight loss, increased satiety, and reduced hunger. Other than an increase in overall gastrointestinal adverse events (AEs), most of which were assessed as mild, there was no difference in the incidence and severity of AEs between the Gelesis100 and placebo groups. In both treatment groups, most AEs were mild or moderate in intensity. No serious adverse events were observed in the Gelesis100 group.
About Gelesis
Gelesis is developing a novel mechanobiology
platform technology to treat obesity and other chronic diseases related
to the GI pathway. Gelesis’ proprietary approach is designed to act
mechanically in the GI pathway to potentially alter the course of
chronic diseases. In September 2017, Gelesis completed a pivotal trial
for weight loss evaluating its lead investigational product candidate
Gelesis100. Additionally, Gelesis is conducting a proof-of-concept study
for its second candidate, Gelesis200, which is optimized for weight loss
and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
Novel hydrogel mechanotherapeutics based on the Gelesis platform
technology are also being advanced through a pipeline with preclinical
studies in other GI-related conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver
disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and inflammatory
bowel disease (IBD).
The Gelesis executive and advisory team includes some of the world’s leading experts in obesity, chronic disease research, and materials science. Gelesis was co-founded by PureTech Health (PRTC.L), an advanced, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. For more information, visit www.gelesis.com or connect with us on Twitter @GelesisInc.
