Rezolute Reports Validation of the Potential Use of RZ358 for Treatment of Non-Islet Cell Tumor Hypoglycemia (NICTH)

Potential to more than double the addressable patient population living with hypoglycemia resulting from insulin receptor over-activation (tumor hyperinsulinism)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rezolute, Inc. (Nasdaq: RZLT) (“Rezolute” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel, transformative therapies for serious metabolic and rare diseases, today announced results from a preclinical pharmacology study that validate the potential for its lead clinical compound, RZ358, to treat individuals with non-islet cell tumors (NICTs) that have uncontrolled hypoglycemia.

Tumor hyperinsulinism (HI) may be caused by a variety of different tumor types, resulting in islet cell tumor hypoglycemia (ICTH) and NICTH. The Company previously reported on the successful use of RZ358 under its Expanded Access Program (EAP) to treat patients with insulin-producing pancreatic islet cell tumors (ICTs), or insulinomas, causing severe and uncontrolled hypoglycemia. The therapeutic potential of RZ358 in this setting was anticipated given that ICTH is mediated by insulin and that RZ358 is known to work at the insulin receptor to decrease excess insulin binding and activity. However, it was unknown if RZ358 would have utility in NICTH where hyperinsulinism is mediated by hormones such as insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2) or its variants, which likewise cause hypoglycemia by binding to and activating the insulin receptor. To test this, the Company recently completed in vitro pharmacology studies to evaluate the impact of clinically relevant concentrations of RZ358 on insulin receptor activation by IGF-2, compared to insulin. This was tested at the relative concentrations of each ligand that activate the insulin receptor and are physiologically relevant in tumor HI caused by ICTH and NICTH, respectively. These experiments successfully demonstrated the ability of RZ358 to similarly blunt both IGF-2 and insulin-mediated insulin-receptor signaling, at levels of these ligands that are disease-relevant in humans.

“These data demonstrate proof of the ligand-agnostic mechanism of action of RZ358 and therefore validate its broad utility in treating hypoglycemia resulting from any form of hyperinsulinism, including expanded tumor indications,” said Dr. Brian Roberts, Chief Medical Officer of Rezolute. “Coupled with known outcomes from our clinical trials in congenital HI and the positive outcomes seen with ICTH in our expanded access program, we are excited by the potential for RZ358 to provide dramatic therapeutic benefit to cancer patients who often have limited treatment options for managing serious and uncontrolled hypoglycemia, which can accompany their cancer and disrupt treatment plans.”