Rejuvenate Biomed has recently concluded a clinical trial for sarcopenia. The results have shown “meaningful improvements in muscle strength, function and fatigue resistance”.
What is sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is an age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that affects many older adults. This decline in muscle mass and strength can greatly impact quality of life and independence, especially in older people.
This can lead to an increased risk of falls, which can be dangerous and even result in injury, disability, or death. This is because older people are often frail and have osteoporosis. Around half of these falls lead to injuries, such as fractures and head injuries. The fractures, especially in the hip and spine, can be severe and may need surgery.
It is thought that up to 22% of 65-year-olds and 50% of 80-year-olds suffer from this debilitating condition. This makes sarcopenia a leading cause of age-related frailty worldwide and a major unmet medical need.
RJx-01 may combat sarcopenia
This Belgium-based company has been developing RJx-01, a combination of metformin and galantamine, to address the unmet need of sarcopenia sufferers.
This Phase 1b trial builds on the previous Phase 1 results, which confirmed safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. The trial involved 42 healthy male participants aged 65 to 75 with disuse-induced sarcopenia.
The Phase 1b trial key results:
- Participants suffering from sarcopenia caused by a lack of muscle use saw improved strength. Those given RJx-01 had better muscle strength improvement compared to those who took a placebo.
- Treatment with RJx-01 improved leg acceleration, which is important for movement and reducing fall risks in sarcopenia patients.
- Participants who took RJx-01 had less tired muscles, suggesting it may help with activities like walking.
RJx-01 was discovered using Rejuvenate Biomed’s in-house drug discovery tools that search for potential treatments for aging. The company wants to share these tools with others through partnerships or licensing agreements.
For more details, check out the full RJx-01 press release from Rejuvenate Biomed.
The next steps for Rejuvenate Biomed
Rejuvenate Biomed is getting ready to start a Phase 2 study to see how RJx-01 affects sarcopenia and osteoporosis. These two conditions commonly occur together, so much so that the term ‘osteosarcopenia’ was recently coined to describe this.
The company also wants to test RJx-01 alongside GLP-1 drugs, which are often used for obesity and type 2 diabetes treatment. This is because both of these conditions are also linked to muscle loss.
GLP-1 drugs help with type 2 diabetes by acting like a hormone that the stomach releases upon eating. They mimic the effects of GLP-1 to regulate blood sugar levels and do the following:
- Help the body to make more insulin when needed.
- Reduce the amount of sugar (glucose) produced by the liver.
- Slow down the digestion of food, so that it takes longer for the body to absorb the sugar from meals.
- Reduce appetite to avoid overeating.
Because of how GLP-1 drugs work, there could be synergy with RJx-01, and it will be interesting to see if this is the case. We also look forward to seeing the results of the upcoming Phase 2 and wish Rejuvenate Biomed the best of luck. Sarcopenia causes a lot of suffering; a solution would be transformative for older adults who have it.
