Boehringer launches clinical obesity program for triple agonist

Boehringer Ingelheim and Gubra have announced the commencement of a Phase I clinical trial for their experimental obesity treatment, BI 3034701. This marks the second weight-loss drug developed through their partnership to reach the clinical trial stage. Described as a "long-acting triple agonist peptide" with first-in-class potential, BI 3034701 aims to set new standards in obesity treatment. However, the company has not clarified whether this drug targets the same receptors as Eli Lilly’s retatrutide, known for its "triple G" agonism that targets GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors.

The Phase I trial for BI 3034701 plans to enroll 124 participants and will be divided into two segments. The first segment will involve healthy male participants aged between 18 and 55 to assess the safety profile of the drug. The second segment will administer multiple doses of the drug subcutaneously to individuals aged 18 to 65 who are either overweight or obese but otherwise healthy. The trial is scheduled to conclude in the latter half of 2025.

The initiation of this study has triggered an undisclosed milestone payment to Gubra, marking another milestone in their collaborative efforts with Boehringer Ingelheim. Previously, the two companies had initiated a Phase I trial for another obesity drug, BI 1820237, which is a long-acting NPY2 agonist.

Boehringer Ingelheim's most advanced candidate in their weight loss portfolio is survodutide, which is being co-developed with Zealand Pharma. Survodutide is a dual agonist targeting the glucagon and GLP-1 receptors. Phase II data released last year demonstrated that survodutide achieved approximately 19% weight loss in patients over 46 weeks. However, nearly 25% of participants discontinued the treatment due to gastrointestinal side effects. Despite these tolerability issues, Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma advanced survodutide to a Phase III trial last August. Additionally, survodutide is undergoing Phase III trials for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).