16 June 2025
Obesity is a highly prevalent, complex, chronic disease associated with cardiometabolic complications, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) analogues such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have achieved clinically relevant body weight reduction among adults with overweight/obesity. Unfortunately, long-term pharmacotherapy is required to maintain weight loss and cessation or withdrawal from therapy leads to weight regain. These challenges underscore the urgent need for innovative solutions that target the underlying mechanisms of obesity and enable tolerable, sustainable weight loss.
Emerging research is reshaping our understanding of obesity by investigating the complex interplay of genetic, hormonal, neural, and environmental factors that regulate body fatness. Traditional models, such as the set point and settling point frameworks, have provided valuable insights but fall short of capturing the intricate gene-by-environment interactions driving the obesity epidemic. Novel approaches, including the general intake model and the dual intervention point model, aim to integrate biological, genetic, social, and environmental factors, offering a more comprehensive perspective on body weight regulation.
Understanding the underlying intrinsic pathophysiological mechanisms is key to advancing obesity research. Therefore, we invite scientific experts to submit their research proposals addressing the following question:
How would you propose connecting the dots from pathology to therapeutic mechanisms for disease modification in obesity to achieve sustainable weight loss beyond treatment?
Explore novel peripheral and central pathogenic mechanisms with the clear goal to identify new entry points for sustainable weight reduction – beyond treatment withdrawal. Researchers from Boehringer’s CardioRenalMetabolic Diseases Research Team will review all submitted proposals and winning proposals should expect funding up to 250,000 euros.
Submit your ideas now, as your proposals can only be accepted if they arrive by August 6, 2025, 11:59 pm PST.
No registration required
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About our opn2EXPERTS question:
How to connect the dots from pathology to therapeutic mechanisms for disease modification in obesity to achieve sustainable weight loss beyond treatment? With ambitious questions such as this, we share precisely formulated scientific questions with the research community as part of our opn2EXPERTS program. Together with winning teams, we intend to explore novel solutions for discovery research that will ultimately benefit the needs of patients.
About opnMe:
opnMe.com, Boehringer Ingelheim's open innovation portal, fosters collaboration in areas of high unmet medical need. Through “Molecules to Order”, we offer well-characterized tool compounds free of charge with no IP strings attached. “Molecules for Collaboration” provide access to unique, often unpublished molecules, paired with funding for research on novel diseases or combinations. Scientists can submit testable hypotheses to utilize these assets. With our “opn2EXPERTS” program, we enlist scientific on key biological issues to drive drug discovery, such as identifying mechanisms for improved impulse control. The current opn2TALENTS PostDoc grant for sustainable parasiticides enable high-caliber researchers to pursue defined projects at one of our discovery research sites.