The company announced the results of its second-generation vaccine, the first and only somatostatin vaccine technology of its kind. In an independent study, the efficacy of the Braasch vaccine was evaluated in a Diet Induced Obesity (DIO) mouse model using the C57BL/6J male mice (The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine), a model which represents one of the most frequently used and published mouse models for human obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. All mice were kept on a 60 kcal% fat diet for 6 weeks prior to the start of the study, and for the duration of the study. A normal mouse diet is 10 kcal% fat. The entire study was conducted at The Jackson Laboratory -- West (Sacramento, CA). Individual data was recorded for mean weights, food intake and IGF-1 levels. Results indicated that placebo vaccinated controls gained significantly more weight than the vaccinated mice. Even more impressive was that during a continual feeding of the high fat diet, a similar amount of food intake was observed in all mice. "The data set shows that the weight gain phenotype can be reduced in obese mice by the Braasch vaccine treatment. The observed in vivo effects of the vaccine are similar to those of reference compounds in published DIO studies in the literature. The preclinical results suggest the therapeutic potential of this vaccine as a drug candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity," stated Dr. Pali Kaur, the study director at The Jackson Laboratory -- West in charge of this efficacy study.

While all mice ate a diet with 6 times the fat content of a normal diet, at the conclusion of the study vaccinated mice gained less than half the weight of placebo vaccinated mice. In terms of human weight, this is equivalent of a 200 pound individual gaining 30 pounds on a high fat diet, while the vaccinated individual would only gain between 8-14 pounds.

Circulating IGF-1, which mediates fat burning, was measured at 21 days after the second vaccination. While there was no statistically significant difference in circulating IGF-1 between the vaccinated mice and the placebo vaccinated controls, one experimental group did have measurably elevated IGF-1 levels compared with control mice.

"This vaccine technology now opens the door to new vaccine treatments for growth hormone deficiency, obesity, and diabetes as well as potentially several other important IGF-1 responsive neuronal disorders such as Rett Syndrome," stated Dr Keith Haffer, President and CEO of Braasch Biotech. "We are seeking development partners to advance the potential value of our technology and ultimately address the many patients in the world suffering from specific disorders in which a vaccine treatment could help."

SOURCE: Braasch Biotech LLC