Dong-A ST said on the 5th that an obesity drug candidate it is developing with affiliate Metabia showed up to a 6.3% (6.8 kg) reduction in body weight 26 days after dosing in a phase 1 trial. In preclinical studies, it was found to increase basal metabolic rate more than Eli Lilly's "Mounjaro (ingredient tirzepatide)."
Dong-A ST presented these global phase 1 and preclinical results in a poster on the 4th (local time) at ObesityWeek 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
DA-1726, which the company is developing, is an obesity drug candidate in the oxyntomodulin analog class. It is a dual-action mechanism that simultaneously stimulates the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor, which reduces appetite, and the glucagon (GCG) receptor, which increases energy expenditure, helping people eat less and burn more.
According to the preclinical results presented at the conference, when DA-1726 was administered to obese mice fed a high-fat diet, it increased basal metabolic rate more than Lilly's obesity and diabetes drug Mounjaro. Food intake was similar, but the DA-1726 group lost more weight and had higher energy expenditure.
Total cholesterol (T-CHO) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), known as bad cholesterol, decreased, and improvements in triglyceride levels were also confirmed.
Reductions in weight and fat mass with preservation of muscle were similar to "pemvidutide" from U.S.-based Altimmune, which is classified in the same class, but the lipid improvement effect was superior.
Interim phase 1 results also showed positive signals. In nine adults who received a 32 mg subcutaneous injection once weekly for four weeks, average body weight decreased by 4.3% (4.0 kg), with a maximum reduction of 6.3% (6.8 kg). Waist circumference decreased by up to 10 cm (3.9 inches), and the effect persisted for two weeks after dosing ended. The average half-life, the time for the drug concentration in the body to be reduced by half, was 80 hours, demonstrating that once-weekly dosing can achieve weight loss.
Metabia has been conducting an additional phase 1 trial since July this year to determine the maximum tolerated dose. The study administers a 48 mg dose for eight weeks.
Metabia CEO Kim Hyeong-heon said, "In phase 1 we confirmed excellent safety, early weight loss, reduced waist circumference, and cardiovascular safety, and through pharmacokinetic characteristics and an 80-hour half-life, we demonstrated the potential for a once-weekly obesity treatment," and added, "Through the ongoing additional phase 1 to explore the maximum tolerated dose, we will further clearly demonstrate our competitiveness."