Obecure is a clinical stage, specialized pharmaceutical, company developing novel therapeutic approaches to weight management. The company was founded in 2005 by Bio-Light Life Science Investments Ltd in order to develop proprietary weight management technology and products exclusively licensed from Mor Research Applications Ltd. Its novel approach rests on targeting the neural histaminergic system, believed to play a key role in control of eating.

The company is focused on developing its proprietary drug, Histalean™, comprised of Betahistine, a known pharmacological agonist of the H1 receptor, for treating obese individuals and for preventing anti-psychotic drug-related weight gain.

Betahistine is a generic prescription drug used on a worldwide basis, except in the United States ,to treat Meniere's disease (vertigo). In the US , Betahistine was approved for the treatment of vertigo in 1967, but was later withdrawn by the FDA, after the manufacturer failed to provide sufficient evidence of efficacy in this indication, although no question of safety was ever raised. In fact, the drug has an excellent safety profile, as shown in a post-marketing surveillance review, showing that after more than 130 million patient exposures, only about 550 adverse event reports were filed¹

Proof of concept has already been achieved in two preliminary clinical trials in obesity, suggesting that Histalean™ has potential for weight reduction. Moreover, an independently conducted open label study has suggested that the drug may attentuate weight gain associated with anti-psychotic drug therapy²

The company has completed a double blinded, placebo controlled, dose ranging, 12 week, Phase II clinical trial in the U.S.A. to evaluate the therapeutic potential of Histalean™: in obese subjects. A post hoc analysis of the study results revealed a statistically significant effect of the drug on weight reduction in a subgroup comprised of women up to 50. In order to validate this finding, Obecure is conducting a Phase II clinical study in pre-menopausal women, aged 18-50. The study has completed the enrollment phase. 

The company is also pursuing a clinical program evaluating the safety and potential therapeutic effect of co-administering Histalean™ with Zyprexa (olanzapine) with the objective of attenuating the latter's drug-associated weight gain. This research is partially supported by Eli Lilly.


1. Sabine Jeck-Thole and Wolfgang Wagner; Drug Safety 2006: 29 (11): 1049-1059.
2. Poyurovsky et. al., International Clinical Psychopharmacology (2005), 101-103.