Ascletis Presents Preclinical Weight Loss Drug Data

Hong Kong-based Ascletis Pharma presented key preclinical data for its new drug candidate, ASC36_35FDC, at the 62nd European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Milan. ASC36_35FDC is a combination formulation containing two compounds: ASC36, a peptide amylin receptor agonist, and ASC35, a peptide that is a GLP-1R/GIPR agonist. The compound is designed for administration once a month or potentially once a quarter.

In preclinical studies involving rats with diet-induced obesity, ASC36_35FDC achieved greater weight loss and reduced food intake compared to competing combination products such as eloralintide/tirzepatide and MET-233i/tirzepatide. The studies also indicated that the ASC36_35FDC formulation exhibited excellent stability, showing no aggregation even under long-term exposure simulating storage conditions, unlike the comparator cagrilintide.

Pharmacokinetic studies in non-human primates revealed a long half-life for ASC36_35FDC, up to approximately 33 days for ASC36 and 30 days for ASC35. These findings support the potential for single doses to be effective monthly or even quarterly, which could significantly improve patient adherence and convenience in chronic weight management.

Ascletis is developing ASC36_35FDC utilizing the company's proprietary AI-assisted drug discovery and ultra-long-acting platforms. The company believes the combination therapy may offer synergistic effects for weight management and views it as a promising candidate to become a leading treatment in its class.