The Parkinson's drug Comtam for obesity and diabetes

INDICATION: Obesity; diabetes

In silico and mouse studies identified Comtan entacapone as an FTO inhibitor that could help treat obesity and diabetes. An in silico screen of FDA-approved drugs for FTO binding and in vitro testing of hits identified Comtan as a compound that bound FTO with a K_d of 234 nM and inhibited the protein with an IC₅₀ of 3.5 μM. In a mouse model of diet-induced obesity, Comtan increased energy expenditure and decreased body weight, fat mass and plasma levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol and triglycerides compared with vehicle. In a genetic mouse model of diabetes, Comtan decreased fasting blood glucose levels and increased glucose tolerance. Next steps could include testing Comtan in additional models of obesity and diabetes...