Arhalofenate is a uricosuric drug which lowers serum urate by blocking its reabsorption by the proximal tubules of the kidney. Arhalofenate activity is mediated by inhibition of URAT1, OAT4 and OAT10. Additionally, arhalofenate has been suggested to exert potent anti-inflammatory activity. Arhalofenate has completed Phase 2 and is ready to advance to Phase 3 as a novel potential treatment for gout. The drug was also tested in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (phase III study), where it demonstrated its ability to lower glucose level, acting as a selective, partial PPAR-gamma agonist. However, the development of arhalofenate as an anti-diabetic drug was terminated.

Halofenate (MK-185) was invented as a hypolipidemic and hypouricemic agent. It was shown that halofenate lower serum triglycerides and uric acid in patients with a variety of hyperlipidemias. Treatment of dyslipidemic type 2 diabetic patients also showed triglyceride lowering and, surprisingly, significant reductions in plasma glucose and insulin. Halofenate is a selective PPAR-γ modulator (SPPARγM). SPPARγMs are believed to bind in distinct manners to the ligand-binding pocket of PPAR-γ, leading to altered receptor conformational stability and resulting in distinct patterns of gene expression. Thus, was suggested that halofenate hold promising therapeutic potential in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, without the side effects. However, information about the current use of this compound is not available.

Arhalofenate is a uricosuric drug which lowers serum urate by blocking its reabsorption by the proximal tubules of the kidney. Arhalofenate activity is mediated by inhibition of URAT1, OAT4 and OAT10. Additionally, arhalofenate has been suggested to exert potent anti-inflammatory activity. Arhalofenate has completed Phase 2 and is ready to advance to Phase 3 as a novel potential treatment for gout. The drug was also tested in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (phase III study), where it demonstrated its ability to lower glucose level, acting as a selective, partial PPAR-gamma agonist. However, the development of arhalofenate as an anti-diabetic drug was terminated.