Roche To Ride Booming Obesity Treatment Market With Newly-Acquired Drug Candidate

Thursday, Genentech, a unit of Roche Holdings AG RHHBY, released results from the Phase 1b trial of CT-388, a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist being developed for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. 

The study found that a once-weekly subcutaneous injection of CT-388 over 24 weeks resulted in significant weight loss in healthy adults with obesity compared to placebo. 

The weight loss achieved with CT-388 was clinically meaningful, with a mean placebo-adjusted weight loss of 18.8% (p-value < 0.001). 

At week 24, 100% of CT-388 treated participants achieved a weight loss of over 5%, 85% achieved over 10%, 70% achieved over 15%, and 45% achieved over 20%. 

The treatment was well tolerated, with mild to moderate gastrointestinal-related adverse events being the most common, consistent with the incretin class of medicines that CT-388 belongs to. 

All participants with a pre-diabetes status at baseline became normoglycemic after 24 weeks of CT-388 treatment, whereas the glycemic status of participants treated with placebo remained largely unchanged during this period.

CT-388 belongs to the class of incretin-based medicines that aim to regulate blood sugar and reduce appetite. 

It selectively targets and activates two specific receptors in the body, GLP-1 and GIP, which integrate nutrient-derived signals to control food intake, energy absorption and assimilation.

An additional cohort from the ongoing placebo-controlled Phase 1b trial of CT-388 will evaluate obese patients (BMI>30 kg/m2) with type 2 diabetes over a 12-week treatment duration. 

Roche expects data from this additional cohort in the second half of 2024.

In December, Roche agreed to acquire a privately held obesity company, Carmot Therapeutics, for $2.7 billion in cash. Additionally, Carmot’s equity holders are entitled to receive payments of up to $400 million depending on achieving certain milestones. 

Once-a-week injection CT-388 is Carmot’s obesity candidate.

Photo by Vidmir Rais via Pixabay