Researchers at the University of Leipzig and ETH Zurich have used single-cell sequencing to identify differences between fat tissue of obese individuals who are metabolically unhealthy, and those who were in good metabolic health. The findings, which were published online Dec. 17, 2024, in Cell Metabolism, identify measurements that can be used to decouple obesity from metabolic disease.
Verge Genomics (Verge Analytics Inc.) has nominated a second development candidate, VRG-201, targeting long-term weight management and metabolic homeostasis. VRG-201 is an oral, first-in-class small-molecule therapy that targets the underlying metabolic pathways leading to abnormal weight gain and the development or worsening of obesity.
Peptidream Inc. has released promising results from preclinical testing of its oral myostatin inhibitors, administered in combination with semaglutide, in a mouse model of obesity.
Although head-to-head results on tolerability were missing from the company’s data release, Eli Lilly and Co. said its U.S. FDA-approved weight-loss drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) beat the also-cleared Novo Nordic A/S compound Wegovy (semaglutide) in a phase IIIb study comparing the two.
When U.S. CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure announced Nov. 26 that the agency is “reinterpreting” the law in proposing a rule allowing Medicare and Medicaid to cover obesity drugs beginning in 2026, she called it a “historic step.” The rule, if finalized, could make obesity drugs like Novo Nordisk A/S’ Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly and Co.’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) available to millions more Americans and further invigorate development of other obesity drugs. But given the lateness of the day in the Biden administration, the proposal may be more symbolic than historic.
Wall Street began comparing and contrasting what’s available after Amgen Inc. rolled out phase II data with weight loss candidate Maritide – a disclosure that led shares of the biotech heavyweight (NASDAQ:AMGN) to close Nov. 26 at $280.01, down $13.99.
Urocortin-2 (UCN2) is a selective corticotropin-releasing factor CRF2 receptor (CRFR2) agonist, which has been previously shown to reduce fat mass while promoting muscle hypertrophy. Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. presented the discovery and preclinical characterization of a novel CRFR2-selective UCN2 analogue, HM-17321, being developed for the treatment of obesity.
Startup company Pep2tango Therapeutics Inc., unveiled with backing by Versant Ventures, is advancing unimolecular multireceptor peptide agonists that target GLP-1, GIP, amylin and calcitonin receptors.
