A preclinical study evaluated the effects of ALKS 33 co-administered with olanzapine on olanzapine-induced weight gain in rodents. Results showed that ALKS 33 was effective in preventing olanzapine-induced weight gain while not inhibiting olanzapine's antipsychotic activity. Olanzapine, also known as ZYPREXA?®, is one of the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic medications, but it is also associated with clinically significant weight gain. A second preclinical study evaluated the efficacy of ALKS 33 on attenuating cocaine- and amphetamine-induced elevations of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, a key region in the brain's reward pathway, and showed that both oral and subcutaneous administration of ALKS 33 were effective. A third presentation outlined the clinical rationale and endpoints of ALKS 33 for the treatment of binge eating disorder and detailed the design of the ongoing phase 2 proof-of-concept clinical study of ALKS 33 in 60 patients with binge eating disorder. Results from the phase 2 study are expected in the first half of calendar year 2011.

Source: Alkermes, Inc.