University of Santiago de Compostela

In preclinical studies in mice, QTX153 reduced body weight without loss of muscle mass, and the company is preparing to start its first Phase I clinical trial in 2027. ZAMUDIO (Bizkaia), 8th October 2026 – Quimatryx, the chemistry subsidiary of Oncomatryx, has developed QTX153, an oral drug candidate for the treatment of obesity that, in preclinical studies, reduced body weight without reducing muscle. The results were presented on 30 September at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD 2026), held in Milan from 28 September to 2 October, as part of the congress’s oral session program. In mice with diet-induced obesity, QTX153 given orally once a day reduced body weight by 19.2% over 22 days at the highest dose, compared with 21.2% for injectable semaglutide in the same study. The weight loss came from a reduction in visceral fat, while skeletal muscle weight was maintained. Current obesity drugs such as semaglutide are highly effective, but part of the weight patients lose is muscle mass. Preserving muscle during weight loss is one of the goals obesity research is currently working towards. Beyond weight loss, the compound improved glucose tolerance and reduced liver fat and markers of liver damage. In the preclinical studies conducted to date, it has also shown high oral bioavailability and a favorable safety profile. “These are preclinical results and there is still a way to go, but the fact that QTX153 reduces weight without reducing muscle, orally and through a different mechanism from current treatments, encourages us to keep working on its development,” said Eneko Aldaba, Director of R&D and co-founder of Quimatryx. Unlike incretin-based therapies such as semaglutide, QTX153 is a selective inhibitor of HDAC6, an enzyme involved in leptin signaling. Leptin is a key hormone in the regulation of appetite and energy balance. The study was carried out in collaboration with the Kaertor Foundation and the University of Santiago de Compostela, with the participation of Oncomatryx researchers. Quimatryx is now completing the regulatory preclinical studies for QTX153, which will allow it to start its first Phase I clinical trial in 2027. “QTX153 shows that the chemistry capability we have built for our cancer drugs can generate valuable candidates beyond oncology. Cancer remains our focus, but our platform is designed precisely for this: to generate multiple drugs and take each one as far as it can bring value to patients,” said Laureano Simón, Founder and CEO of Oncomatryx. More information about the congress is available at: https://www.easd.org/annual-meeting/easd-2026/ About Quimatryx Quimatryx is the Basque medicinal chemistry company of the Oncomatryx group. Since 2025, it has carried out the conjugation chemistry for the group’s antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in its own laboratories: it designs the linker and the payload and conjugates the complete ADC. This chemistry expertise also enables it to develop its own drug candidates in other therapeutic areas. About Oncomatryx Oncomatryx is a Spanish biopharmaceutical company headquartered in the Basque Country with a global outlook, and a pioneer in treating metastatic solid tumors by targeting their microenvironment rather than the tumor cell. The company has also built a platform designed to generate multiple drug candidates and advance them to clinical proof of concept for licensing to large pharmaceutical companies. This platform spans the full cycle of research, clinical development and in-house manufacturing that defines today’s industry leaders. Oncomatryx is the only biotech company designated as a strategic company by Spain’s Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI). In 2025, it received a European Union EIC Accelerator grant as one of five life sciences companies selected from 950 applicants.

A study published in Redox Biology identifies the mechanism by which olanzapine promotes insulin resistance through signals originating in the hypothalamus. The findings point to PTP1B inhibition as a potential strategy to prevent these metabolic side effects Olanzapine, one of the most widely used second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) for the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, can alter metabolism when administered over prolonged periods. Its side effects include weight gain, dyslipidaemia (an imbalance in blood lipids, such as cholesterol and triglycerides), fatty liver disease and hyperglycaemia, all of which increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A team of researchers from the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sols-Morreale (IIBM), CSIC-UAM, led by Ángela M. Valverde and belonging to the CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), has identified a mechanism by which olanzapine impairs the insulin response through signals originating in the hypothalamus. The study was carried out in collaboration with teams from CIBERDEM, the CIBER de Obesidad y Fisiopatología de la Nutrición (CIBEROBN), the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas (CNIO), the CIMUS (Universidad de Santiago de Compostela) and the University of Massachusetts (USA). Dr Ángela M. Valverde, principal investigator of the “Physiopathology and Molecular Mechanisms of Obesity and Comorbidities” research group at the IIBM and coordinator of the study, explains that the research “analyses the effects of olanzapine on insulin sensitivity in male mice treated with this SGA by intraperitoneal administration, focusing on how signals generated in the hypothalamus trigger impaired insulin responses in metabolically relevant tissues such as the liver and skeletal muscle.” The researcher highlights that “although intraperitoneally administered olanzapine protected against weight gain and hepatic steatosis, it still promoted insulin resistance.” The research team demonstrated that intraperitoneal administration of olanzapine induces systemic insulin resistance, impairing the response of both the liver and skeletal muscle to this hormone. “This resistance is not due to a direct effect of the drug on the liver, but rather to inter-organ communication that depends on olanzapine acting in the hypothalamus through activation of the JNK1 kinase in this region of the central nervous system,” explains Vítor Ferreira, first author of the publication. Patricia Rada, co-coordinator of the study, adds: “Surprisingly, activation of JNK1 in the hypothalamus triggers JNK1 activation in the liver through the vagus nerve, promoting insulin resistance in this organ and, in addition, reducing FGF21 production, thereby favouring insulin resistance in skeletal muscle.” Using transgenic models and in vivo genetic approaches, the team identified a communication axis between the brain and peripheral tissues that helps explain how olanzapine disrupts glucose homeostasis. “Our findings reveal that olanzapine-mediated hypothalamic signalling drives insulin resistance in skeletal muscle secondary to liver dysfunction, and that this inter-organ dialogue disappears when central signalling is blocked,” says Ángela M. Valverde. This finding is particularly relevant because patients treated with second-generation antipsychotics have a three- to fourfold higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study also demonstrates that deficiency of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), a preclinical model previously described by the group as being resistant to olanzapine-induced weight gain and hepatic steatosis following oral treatment, also protects against insulin resistance induced by this SGA when administered intraperitoneally. The researchers highlight that this protection is due, at least in part, to reduced oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in the hypothalamus. “PTP1B inhibition acts directly on JNK1 in the hypothalamus, preventing the signalling cascade that leads to insulin resistance. This opens up new therapeutic opportunities to mitigate the metabolic side effects of olanzapine,” concludes Patricia Rada. Reference: Ferreira V, Folgueira C, Hitos AB, Montes San-Lorenzo Á, Estévez-Salguero Á, Porteiro B, Davis RJ, López M, Sabio G, Rada P, Valverde ÁM. A hypothalamus-liver-skeletal muscle axis controlled by JNK1 and FGF21 mediates olanzapine-induced insulin resistance in an intraperitoneal treatment in male mice. Redox Biology. 2026;95:104286.doi:10.1016/j.redox.2026.104286. Cover image: Hematoxylin and eosin (left) and Oil Red O (right) staining of a liver section from a mouse treated with 10 mg/kg olanzapine.

Scientists have unveiled a breakthrough way to turn natural gas—long burned as fuel—into valuable chemical building blocks for medicines and other high-demand products. By designing a clever iron-based catalyst powered by LED light, researchers managed to activate stubborn molecules like methane and transform them into complex compounds, even creating the hormone therapy drug dimestrol directly from methane for the first time.Natural gas is one of the most plentiful energy resources on Earth. It is made mostly of methane, along with ethane and propane. Today, it is primarily burned for heat and electricity, a process that releases greenhouse gases. For years, researchers and industry leaders have tried to find ways to convert these simple hydrocarbons directly into useful chemicals instead of burning them. The challenge is that methane and similar gases are extremely stable and do not react easily, which has limited their use as sustainable raw materials for manufacturing. A research team led by Martín Fañanás at the Centre for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) at the University of Santiago de Compostela has now developed a new method to transform methane and other components of natural gas into versatile chemical "building blocks" that can be used to make high value products, including pharmaceuticals. The study, published in Science Advances, marks an important step toward a more sustainable and circular chemical economy. In a landmark demonstration, the CiQUS team synthesized a bioactive compound directly from methane for the first time. The compound, dimestrol, is a non-steroidal estrogen used in hormone therapy. Producing such a complex molecule from methane highlights the potential of this approach to turn an abundant, inexpensive gas into sophisticated and commercially important chemicals. Methane Activation and Selective Allylation The researchers focused on a reaction known as allylation. This process attaches a small chemical fragment called an allyl group to a gas molecule, effectively giving it a functional "handle" (an allyl group) that chemists can build on in later steps. With this handle in place, the modified molecule can be transformed into a wide range of products, from pharmaceutical ingredients to common industrial chemicals. One major obstacle was the tendency of the catalytic system to trigger unwanted chlorination reactions, which created byproducts and reduced efficiency. Controlling these side reactions was essential to making the process practical. Custom Iron Catalyst Controls Free Radicals To solve this problem, the team designed a specialized supramolecular catalyst. "The core of this breakthrough lies in designing a catalyst based on a tetrachloroferrate anion stabilized by collidinium cations, which effectively modulates the reactivity of the radical species generated in the reaction medium," explains Prof. Fañanás. "The formation of an intricate network of hydrogen bonds around the iron atom sustains the photocatalytic reactivity required to activate the alkane, while simultaneously suppressing the catalyst's tendency to undergo competing chlorination reactions. This creates an optimal environment for the selective allylation reaction to proceed." In simpler terms, the catalyst carefully manages highly reactive radical intermediates so they drive the desired transformation without causing unwanted side reactions. Sustainable Photocatalysis Using Iron and LED Light Beyond its chemical precision, the method also stands out for its environmental advantages. It relies on iron, which is inexpensive, widely available, and far less toxic than the rare and precious metals often used in catalytic chemistry. The reaction runs under relatively mild temperatures and pressures and is powered by LED light. Together, these features reduce energy demands and environmental impact. This discovery is part of a larger research effort supported by the European Research Council (ERC) aimed at upgrading the primary components of natural gas into more valuable chemicals. In related work published in Cell Reports Physical Science, the same group reported a method for directly combining these gases with acid chlorides to produce industrially important ketones in a single step. Both advances rely on photocatalysis and strengthen CiQUS's position as a leader in developing innovative strategies to use abundant raw materials more effectively. Toward a Circular Chemical Economy Converting natural gas into flexible chemical intermediates could expand industrial options and gradually decrease reliance on traditional petrochemical feedstocks. The research benefits from the strong scientific environment at CiQUS, which holds the CIGUS accreditation from the Galician government in recognition of its research excellence and impact. The center also receives key funding from the European Union through the Galicia FEDER 2021-2027 Program, supporting scientific progress with clear potential for technology transfer and broader socioeconomic benefits.