BOSTON, Massachusetts, Nov. 5, 2018—Gelesis, a biotechnology company developing first-in-class mechanotherapeutics to treat obesity and other chronic diseases related to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, today announced that the Company will deliver an oral presentation and three poster presentations at ObesityWeek 2018, the annual combined congress of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society in Nashville, Tennessee, from November 11-15, 2018. The presentations will share data from the pivotal study of Gelesis100, an oral, non-systemic approach to weight loss, including data regarding early predictors of clinically meaningful weight loss.
“We are pleased to be able to present key clinical data from the pivotal study of our lead investigational product for weight loss, Gelesis100,” said Harry L. Leider, MD, MBA, FACPE, Chief Medical Officer of Gelesis. “There is a tremendous need for new approaches to address overweight and obesity, and we look forward to participating in the preeminent scientific exchange around this disease that affects more than 130 million Americans.”
Details of the presentations are as follows:
Monday, November 12, 2018: 1:15pm CT-2:45pm CT, Innovative Emerging Pharmacotherapy and Devices Forum
Wednesday, November 14, 2018: 12:00pm CT-1:30pm CT, poster presentations
Gelesis100 is a non-systemic, superabsorbent hydrogel in development for the potential treatment of overweight or obesity. It is made from two naturally derived building blocks, modified cellulose cross-linked with citric acid, that create a three-dimensional matrix. Orally administered in capsules with water before a meal, Gelesis100 particles rapidly absorb water in the stomach and homogenously mix with ingested foods. When hydrated, Gelesis100 occupies about one-fourth of the average stomach volume. Rather than forming one large mass, it creates thousands of small individual gel pieces with the elasticity (firmness) of solid ingested foods (e.g., vegetables) without caloric value. Gelesis100 maintains its three-dimensional structure and mechanical properties during transit through the small intestine. Once it arrives in the large intestine, the hydrogel is partially broken down by enzymes and loses its three-dimensional structure along with most of its absorption capacity. The released water is reabsorbed in the large intestine, and the remaining cellulosic material is expelled in the feces. Gelesis100 is considered a medical device because it achieves its primary intended purpose through mechanical modes of action consistent with mechanobiology constructs. Gelesis100 received a Non-Significant Risk (NSR) designation by the FDA.
This investigational product has been studied in more than 450 patients (excluding patients treated by placebo) across five clinical studies throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe and in these studies has shown weight loss, increased satiety, and reduced hunger. Other than an increase in overall gastrointestinal adverse events (AEs), most of which were assessed as mild, there was no difference in the incidence and severity of AEs between the Gelesis100 and placebo groups. In both treatment groups, most AEs were mild or moderate in intensity. No serious adverse events were observed in the Gelesis100 group.
Gelesis is developing a novel mechanobiology platform technology to treat obesity and other chronic diseases related to the GI pathway. Gelesis’ proprietary approach is designed to act mechanically in the GI pathway to potentially alter the course of chronic diseases. In September 2017, Gelesis completed a pivotal trial for weight loss evaluating its lead investigational product candidate Gelesis100. Additionally, Gelesis is conducting a proof-of-concept study for its second candidate, Gelesis200, which is optimized for weight loss and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Novel hydrogel mechanotherapeutics based on the Gelesis platform technology are also being advanced through a pipeline with preclinical studies in other GI-related conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The Gelesis executive and advisory team includes some of the world’s leading experts in obesity, chronic disease research, and materials science. Gelesis was co-founded by PureTech Health (PRTC.L), an advanced, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. For more information, visit www.gelesis.com or connect with us on Twitter @GelesisInc.
Investors
Allison Mead Talbot, +1 617 651 3156, amt@puretechhealth.com
U.S. media
Tom Donovan, +1 857 559 3397, tom@tenbridgecommunications.com