Metabolic Diseases Drug Discovery-Strategic Research Institute's Third International World Summit. Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibitors 26-27 July 2004, San Diego, CA, USA.

The majority of the presentations a the conference were on three highly sought-after targets for type 2 diabetes mellitus, namely PTP1B, PPARs and DPP-IV, reflecting the current focus and trend in the industry. A couple of novel targets were discussed, including the potential of myostatin as a type 2 diabetes mellitus target and a novel GPCR target. While small molecules were dominant, several biological-based approaches were covered: antibody therapeutics and oligonucleotide-based approaches (ASO and siRNA). In searching for small-molecule leads, structure-based rational design and focused combination chemistry appear to produce better results than a random high-throughput approach over the entire chemical library. The biggest challenges for diabetes and obesity drugs remain similar to those mentioned in previous meetings: increasing specificity to reduce side effects and maintaining long-term effect while maintaining or increasing efficacy. Due to the tremendous interest of the pharmaceutical industry in metabolic disease drug development, our knowledge of food intake and metabolism regulation has increased exponentially. Overall, the prospect of better drugs for, and better control of, type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity is promising.