Wave Life Sciences to Present New siRNA Obesity Program and RNA Editing Leadership

Wave Life Sciences Ltd., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has announced its participation in two significant scientific summits in Boston: the 2nd Annual Obesity & Weight Loss Drug Development Summit and the 5th Annual RNA Editing Summit. These conferences, taking place on June 11-13 and June 18-20 respectively, will provide a platform for the company to present its innovative approaches in RNA medicine and obesity treatment.

Dr. Erik Ingelsson, Chief Scientific Officer at Wave Life Sciences, emphasized the importance of these summits in showcasing the company's progress in developing treatments for both rare and common diseases. According to Ingelsson, the company's INHBE silencing program offers a novel approach to obesity treatment. Unlike traditional therapies, this program aims not only at weight loss but also at maintaining a healthy metabolic profile, potentially addressing issues related to the GLP-1 class such as side effects, poor adherence, and rebound weight gain.

At the Obesity Summit, Wave Life Sciences will present on the potential of its INHBE program to revolutionize obesity treatment. INHBE silencing aims to induce fat burning while preserving muscle mass, which could result in a healthier metabolic profile. The company's preclinical data indicates that its INHBE GalNAc-siRNA candidate is highly potent and durable, supporting the possibility of once or twice-annual subcutaneous dosing. This candidate has shown promising results in weight loss without muscle mass loss and has demonstrated a reduction in visceral fat in preclinical models.

Ginnie Yang, Senior Vice President of Translational Medicine at Wave Life Sciences, will discuss the real-world evidence regarding the efficacy and adherence of GLP-1 drugs at the Obesity Summit. The presentation will explore new therapeutic directions that Wave's INHBE program could take, potentially addressing the limitations of existing GLP-1 therapies.

At the RNA Editing Summit, the focus will shift to Wave's advancements in RNA editing therapeutics. The company's lead program, WVE-006, is designed to correct or upregulate mRNA to treat Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD). Unlike conventional therapies, WVE-006 does not require a lipid-nanoparticle delivery system and is currently under investigation in a Phase 1b/2a study. The company anticipates delivering proof-of-mechanism data by 2024.

In addition to WVE-006, Wave Life Sciences is developing a pipeline of RNA editing therapeutics targeting a variety of hepatic and extra-hepatic conditions. This work is being accelerated by the company's proprietary "Edit-verse," which maps the editable gene-disease network. The Edit-verse leverages genetic datasets and deep learning models to identify new RNA editing targets, offering efficient paths to proof-of-concept in humans.

Cynthia Caracta, Executive Medical Director at Wave Life Sciences, will present on the RestorAATion-2 study, which is the first clinical program evaluating an RNA editing therapeutic in humans. This presentation will provide insights into the potential of RNA editing to offer new treatment paradigms for diseases with high unmet needs.

Overall, Wave Life Sciences is poised to make significant contributions to the fields of obesity treatment and RNA editing therapeutics. By combining genetic insights with advanced RNA technologies, the company aims to develop effective treatments for a range of conditions, thereby transforming human health.