Topokine — The Topical Under-Eye Flab Buster

Bags under eyes are a common cosmetic concern as people age. With aging, the tissues around the eyes, including some of the muscles supporting the eyelids, weaken. Normal fat that helps support the eyes can then move into the lower eyelids, causing the lids to appear puffy. Lymphatic drainage with aging also becomes sluggish, resulting in extra fluid accumulation in the space below the eyes, adding to the blubber bulge.

Up until now all the successful treatments & interventions available to tackle these fat bags under the eyes have been surgical or injectable, but recently a ray of topical therapeutic hope to treat these unsightly bulges has been promised by Topokine; a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing topical prescription medications that act pharmacologically on adipocytes (fat cells) to contour the face and body.

XAF5 Ointment

According to the results from a recent Phase II trial, Topokine Therapeutic’s XAF5 ointment can safely and effectively reduce excess eyelid fat. The study results are scheduled to be presented as the “Late Breaking” research at the upcoming American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting on March 21, 2015.

In this 90 patient, carefully controlled study with multiple, independent-physician and patient-reported endpoints, the XAF5 ointment has shown very promising results. Over the course of 10 weeks of treatment, the patients who used the ointment saw visible reduction in fat in comparison with the placebo group. The fat reduction results were measured by doctors using a five-point scale created by a panel of doctors called the Lower Eyelid Steatoblepharon (eyelid fat) Severity Scale (LESS). Almost half of the patients in this study who received XAF5 improved by at least one point of the scale, and additional ratings of the patient’s own satisfaction with their facial features improved as well. There were no serious safety issues reported during the trial.

How It Works?

XAF5 selectively binds a G protein-coupled receptor to modify one of the pathways involved in lipid metabolism and adipocyte maturation leading to inhibition of lipid synthesis, transport, and storage. In simple words, it blocks the formation of fat cells under the skin, and shrinks fat cells that are already there.

The company’s next step will be to try the ointment in a 16-week Phase 2b trial before moving on to a late-stage trial, which will likely involve hundreds of patients. XAF5 is currently also being investigated for reducing double chin (sub-mental) and other indications.

      Stay tuned as there are exciting fat-busting times ahead!