ZafGen, a Cambridge-based developer of an obesity therapy based on the vascular targeting of adipose tissue, has raised $14 million in Series B funding, according to a regulatory filing. Third Rock Ventures was joined by return backer Atlas Venture. The company previously raised around $5.2 million from Atlas and GreatPoint Ventures.
Interesting play here. There is no doubt obesity is a huge and underserved market but one of the reasons is that the treatment therapies must be extremely safe (search CB1 antagonists or rimbonant if you’re in the mood for some light reading).
My question is this: how do you restrict vessel remodeling /angiogenesis (or whatever they’re doing) to just adipose tissue? I would imagine most molecular pathways involved in regulating this network are pretty homogenous across organ systems; no one is suggesting Avastin (VEGF inhibitor) be used for the treatment of obesity for instance
In my opinion, they are either on to something novel and interesting, or haven’t thought this through. Let’s hope for the sake of medicare’s pocketbook it’s the former.
Zafgen Raises $14 Million
-(Via BioSpace.com Featured News and Stories.)
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Eben is a highly caffeinated business development associate at a small, cash sensitive pharmaceutical company somewhere in Massachusetts. He enjoys cliche-less banter, compartmentalization, non-equilibrium thermodynamics and NPV analysis. Agree or disagree with what he's posted? He encourages comments.
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