Emerging therapies for metabolic diseases—the focus is on diabetes and obesity

Type 2 diabetes and obesity remain the focus of investigational drugs for metabolic disease. Only one new class of agents (Dipeptidylpeptidase 4 Inhibitors) has been approved in this field for control of blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes. Significant progress has been made in the elucidation of pathways of interest for new therapies in diabetes and obesity, partly through advances in human genetics that have highlighted genetic loci relevant to pancreatic beta cell dysfunction and hypothalamic control of food intake, respectively. Investigational drugs targeting these pathways are in early clinical investigation, including GPR119 agonists. Compounds targeting lipid partitioning and lipid biosynthetic enzymes also have emerged, including inhibitors of the enzymes DGAT1 and SCD1.