Nearly half of patients lost more than 20% of their body weight, and Roche's (RHHBY.US) potential "best-in-class" weight loss treatment is about to enter a Phase II trial.

Roche (RHHBY.US) announced detailed results from its phase 1 trial of its dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist CT-388, a potential “best-in-class” glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and insulinotropic polypeptide-1 (INPP-1) receptor agonist, for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes at the upcoming 2024 European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting. Analysis showed that after 24 weeks of weekly subcutaneous injections of 22mg of CT-388, patients had an average weight loss of 18.8% and had not plateaued, indicating that there was potential for further weight loss. Additionally, nearly half of patients had a weight loss greater than 20%.

Roche plans to initiate a phase 2 trial of CT-388 later this year, assessing both the weight loss potential of the drug and its potential to improve cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Obesity is one of the world’s most prevalent health challenges, and a field that is in urgent need of scientific progress to help address it. The disease is associated with many health problems and comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and chronic kidney disease, which together put significant strain on the global healthcare system. It is estimated that by 2035, more than 4 billion people will be overweight or obese, approaching 50% of the global population.

CT-388 is a weekly subcutaneous injection of a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, a multi-therapeutic that is being developed for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.