Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R)

Abstract

A study in humans suggests that MC4R antagonists could be useful for treating hypertension. Overweight and obese subjects with inherited partial loss-of-function mutations in MC4R had a lower prevalence of hypertension than overweight and obese controls with normal MC4R levels (24% vs. 53%; p=0.009). MC4R-deficient subjects treated with an MC4R agonist showed higher blood pressure than untreated controls. Next steps could include testing compounds that modulate MC4R activity in animal models of hypertension. Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding AG has two MC4R antagonists in preclinical development for cachexia-SNT207707 and SNT207858.