GSK, Cold Spring Harbor Lab to develop new drugs for obesity and diabetes

Under the deal, scientists at CSHL and GSK will pursue drug development based on a new approach to regulate the enzymatic activity of the phosphatase PTP1B.

The multiyear deal will focus on developing orally bioavailable small molecules that inhibit PTP1B activity in vivo to overcome resistance to insulin and leptin linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity.

CSHL Business Development and Technology Transfer vice-president Teri Willey said: "At CSHL, we are striving to achieve mutually beneficial and effective collaborations to accelerate research and develop new therapies to benefit patients."

Work at CSHL will be led by Professor Nicholas Tonks, who discovered PTP1B and is an expert on the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) family of enzymes and their roles in human diseases.

GSK The Discovery Partnership with Academia program (DPAc) global head Carolyn Buser said: "At GSK, we believe that combining the in-depth target and disease knowledge of renowned academic groups with our drug-discovery expertise and capabilities can foster innovation and speed up the discovery and development of new medicines.

"We are excited to expand our partnerships in North America and look forward to working closely with Dr Tonks, whose deep understanding of protein tyrosine phosphatase biology will complement our own work in this field."

Currently, GSK has 13 DPAc collaborations in place at academic research institutions in North America and Europe.

Image: Structural representation of the PTP1B enzyme, showing reduced and oxidized forms. Photo: courtesy of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.