Novartis to commence phase 2 trial with bimagrumab in obese patients with type 2 diabetes

According to information published on clinicaltrials.gov, the randomized, subject- and investigator-blinded study will enroll 60 obese adult patients with type 2 diabetes to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of intravenous bimagrumab compared to placebo. The study is not yet open for enrollment.

The study's primary outcome measures comprise the change in fat body mass at weeks 24 and 48. Secondary outcome measures include mean change from baseline in HbA1c, insulin resistance as measured by the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), fasting insulin and glucose.

MorphoSys chief scientific officer Dr. Marlies Sproll said: "We are very excited that our partner Novartis is taking bimagrumab into a phase 2 study in type 2 diabetes, an indication with growing demand for novel treatments.

"This new study will join phase 2 clinical trials of bimagrumab currently ongoing in patients with sarcopenia and after hip fracture surgery.”