A biotech startup spun out of the Medical College of Wisconsin says it has discovered a new way to treat diabetes. Milwaukee-based Rose Biosciences was founded in January 2021 and is planning to open up its seed funding round this year. While studying the relationship between metabolism and bacteria within the microbiomes, Dr. John Kirby,
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Justin Mortara[/caption]
"The primary goal of Rose Biosciences is to support bringing this MCW laboratory discovery to clinical trial," said Mortara. "Obesity is a disease to be treated, not a condition to be judged. We are excited to bring a new therapeutic approach forward and will seek partnerships to advance it through clinical development."
Pre-clinical studies have shown RB014, which is administered orally, demonstrates a weight loss effect of 16 to 20% with no anticipated side effects or safety concerns and is easy to manufacture. By contrast, current pharmacological therapies offer between 8 to 16% weight loss, come with black box warnings, and are expensive to manufacture.
"By 2030, more than one billion people globally and 50 percent of the U.S. population will be obese," said Kirby. "RB014 could revolutionize how this population is treated and provide a completely different outlook on obesity."
The Rose Biosciences team is currently moving forward with licensing and additional intellectual property development. The company has raised some pre-seed funding, but a spokesperson was not immediately available to provide further details Monday.