Ascletis’ Oral GLP-1 Drug Shows Promising Early Results in Obesity Treatment, Rivaling Roche’s Candidate

Ascletis Pharma's oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, ASC30, demonstrated 6.3% mean body weight loss after 28 days in a Phase Ia multiple ascending dose study4.

The weight loss results for ASC30 are comparable to Roche's oral GLP-1 candidate CT-996, which showed 6.1% weight loss after 28 days in a separate trial4 5.

ASC30 exhibited dose-proportional pharmacokinetics and a long half-life of up to 60 hours, suggesting the potential for once-daily or less frequent dosing3.

The safety profile of ASC30 was generally well-tolerated, with gastrointestinal-related adverse events being mild to moderate3 4.

Ascletis is developing both oral and subcutaneous formulations of ASC30, potentially offering flexibility in dosing options3 4.

The obesity drug market is highly competitive, with major players like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly dominating, but there's potential for new entrants like Ascletis and Roche5.

Roche expects its obesity and diabetes drug candidates, including CT-996, to potentially bring in up to $3.6 billion per year5.

The global prevalence of obesity has more than doubled between 1990 and 2022, highlighting the growing need for effective treatments7.

Ascletis entered the obesity drug space in September 2024, aiming to capitalize on the booming weight loss market4 10.

The development of oral GLP-1 receptor agonists represents a significant advancement in obesity treatment, potentially offering a more convenient alternative to injectable formulations.