Pfizer Corporation

John R Hadcock

Andrew Gordon Swick

The present invention provides a method of treating obesity, sexual dysfunction (including erectile dysfunction), diabetes, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, Syndrome X, adrenal dysfunction, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, hyperlipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, or substance abuse, the method comprising the step of administering to a patent having or at risk of having one of the above-mentioned diseases a therapeutically effective amount of a compound that attenuates the binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors, but does not attenuate the binding of &agr;-melanocyte stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors. The present invention also provides a method of identifying a compound that is useful for the treatment or prevention of obesity, sexual dysfunction (including erectile dysfunction), diabetes, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, Syndrome X, adrenal dysfunction, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, hyperlipoproteinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, or substance abuse, the method comprising the steps of: 1) determining if a compound affects the binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors; 2) determining if a compound affects the binding of &agr;-melanocyte stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors; and 3) selecting a compound that attenuates the binding of agouti-related protein to melanocortin receptors, but does not affect the binding of &agr;-melanocyte stimulating hormone to melanocortin receptors.

Treatments for obesity and methods for identifiying compounds useful for treating obesity

The present invention relates to methods of treating obesity, diabetes, sexual dysfunction, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, hypercholesterolemia or hypertrigylceridemia using a neurotensin receptor ligand. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions and kits that comprise a neurotensin receptor ligand.

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East Lyme, CT, United States of America

John R Hadcock