Response Pharmaceuticals

About Response Pharmaceuticals

Response Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2021 by Eric Keller and Paul Sweetnam, developing treatments for metabolic health and weight management, particularly for high-need patient populations. The company is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia. Its primary focus is on addressing drug-induced weight gain, such as that associated with antipsychotic medications, and managing weight rebound after patients discontinue GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy.

The company's lead drug candidate is RDX-002, an oral, gut-specific small molecule inhibitor of the intestinal microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (iMTP). By inhibiting iMTP, RDX-002 reduces the absorption of dietary fats and cholesterol, thereby lowering caloric intake from triglycerides. This mechanism has been shown in clinical studies to help manage body weight and improve cardiometabolic risk factors. RDX-002 is being developed under an exclusive worldwide license from Sanofi S.A. and has been studied in over 500 human subjects across multiple trials.

Response Pharmaceuticals' business model centers on developing and advancing its therapeutic pipeline through clinical trials to address unmet needs in metabolic health. The company secured $8 million in a Series A financing round in November 2022, which has been used to fund efficacy studies for RDX-002. Recent Phase 2 trial results for RDX-002 have shown positive outcomes in reducing weight regain and post-meal triglycerides in patients who have stopped GLP-1 treatments. The company serves patients experiencing metabolic side effects from essential medications, aiming to improve treatment compliance and long-term health outcomes by mitigating adverse effects like weight gain.