Ascletis Advances in Obesity Treatment with Promising Oral GLP-1 Data

Ascletis Pharma, a Chinese biotech company, reported positive interim results from a Phase Ib trial of its oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, ASC3036.

The trial showed a 6.3% mean body weight reduction after 28 days in the higher-dose cohort, and 4.3% in the lower-dose cohort36.

ASC30 is a small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist that can potentially be administered as both a once-daily oral tablet and a once-monthly subcutaneous injection9.

The drug was generally well-tolerated, with only mild to moderate gastrointestinal-related adverse events reported3.

Ascletis is competing in the growing obesity treatment market, which includes established players like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly6.

The company's stock value increased following the announcement of the trial results6.

Ascletis is part of a broader trend of Chinese biotechs contributing significantly to global drug development, with Chinese companies accounting for 31% of innovative new drugs added to global pipelines since 20222.

The success of ASC30 demonstrates China's growing capabilities in pharmaceutical innovation, particularly in next-generation therapeutic areas2.

Sources:

2. https://www.biopharmadive.com/spons/is-2025-the-chinese-year-of-biopharma/738274/

3. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/ascletis-swift-surge-obesity-continues-competitive-oral-glp-1-data

6. https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/news/ascletis-announces-positive-results-in-phase-ib-oral-glp-1ra-trial/

9. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ascletis-announces-positive-results-from-us-phase-ia-single-ascending-dose-study-of-small-molecule-oral-glp-1r-agonist-asc30-and-provides-program-update-302356018.html