Endevica Bio Spins Off New Company to Develop Weight Loss Drug

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Nov 01, 2024, 10:38 ET

The company, called Abisati, will focus solely on 710GO, an oral MC4R agonist that is effective in nonhuman primates and rats.

Northbrook, Ill., Nov. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Endevica Bio, a privately held company developing first-in-class peptide drug candidates, today announced the spin-off of a newly created company called Abisati to develop an oral weight loss treatment that has shown efficacy in animal studies.

The peptide, 710GO, was spun out of Endevica Bio's platform of experimental drugs to the newly created company, which hopes to conduct a phase 1 trial on the drug starting in the second half of 2025. Spinning off Abisati enables the new company, based in Northbrook, Illinois, to focus exclusively on bringing the weight-loss drug to market.

Endevica Bio, a world leader in the scientific understanding of the central melanocortin system, will continue to develop new drugs for a wide range of indications, including cachexia, a wasting syndrome associated with chronic diseases including cancer.

710GO leverages the melanocortin system to induce weight loss, both alone and in combination with GLP1s. Endevica Bio's studies have shown the drug is safe and effective in obese monkeys and rats.

710GO led to a loss of 7 ½ percent of body weight in obese monkeys in one month relative to a control group. The monkey study also showed a steady 20 percent decrease, on average, in daily caloric intake, which stands in contrast to GLP1s, which typically cause a rapid decrease in appetite followed by a rebound. Additionally, Endevica's 710GO study found that monkeys taking the drug favored consumption of high fiber, low fat foods instead of calorically dense treats.

"We are so excited about the prospects for a drug that could be life-changing for millions of people suffering from obesity," said Russell Potterfield, CEO and Executive Chairman of Endevica Bio and of Abisati. "Our peptide has the potential to help patients lose weight without the side effects such as nausea and vomiting seen with drugs now on the market and without the 'bounce back' weight gain that can happen after patients discontinue medication."

Endevica Bio discovered 710GO's potential use for weight loss in the course of researching a peptide to prevent involuntary weight loss associated with cachexia. The development of these sister molecules demonstrates how Endevica Bio's peptide engineering resulted in several drug candidates that may safely address multiple indications related to metabolism, weight management, and oncology.

"I've spent my entire career studying how the brain regulates body weight and how we can harness systems that are part of healthy weight regulation to produce desirable clinical outcomes," said Dr. Daniel Marks, Co-Author, and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Endevica Bio and Abisati.

"There are millions of patients who suffer from disorders of weight regulation, including obesity or involuntary weight loss," Dr. Marks added. "This is often viewed as the patient's fault due to a lack of appropriate attention to nutrition. But we now know there are fundamental disorders of how the brain regulates body weight. Drugs created by Endevica Bio are designed to target systems in the brain to help patients attain a healthy body weight."

About Endevica Bio

Endevica Bio creates first-in-class peptide drug candidates. Endevica Bio's technology platform, protected by a family of patents and pending applications, allows for the modification of peptides to modulate activity of important drug targets behind the blood-brain barrier. More information can be found at www.endevicabio.com.

SOURCE Endevica Bio