Ecnoglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) obesity treatment licensed in South Korea by HK inno.N (195940.KS), produced weight loss of as much as 12% in obese adolescents within 20 weeks in a clinical trial.
HK inno.N said on the 6th that its Chinese partner, Sciwind Biosciences, presented Phase 1b results for ecnoglutide in obese adolescents at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting held in Milan, Italy, on Sept. 30.
Ecnoglutide is a cAMP-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist, designed to improve signaling selectivity to secure both efficacy and safety. HK inno.N licensed the drug from Sciwind in 2024 and is running Phase 3 trials in South Korea for obesity and diabetes.
The trial enrolled 48 obese Chinese adolescents aged 12 to 17. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 1.2 milligrams, 1.8 milligrams or 2.4 milligrams of ecnoglutide, or a placebo, for 20 weeks.
Weight loss in the treatment groups continued from week four through week 20, the study found. At week 20, body mass index fell 11.2% to 12.6% from baseline, while the placebo group showed no significant change. Weight declined 10.4% to 12.1% in the treatment groups but rose 1.2% in the placebo group.
Waist and neck circumference also decreased in the treatment groups, and key cardiovascular and metabolic measures including glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides and blood pressure tended to improve compared with the placebo group. Safety and tolerability were generally favorable, and pharmacokinetic characteristics were similar to those seen in studies of adults. Sciwind is currently conducting a Phase 3 trial in adolescents.
"In treating adolescent obesity, it is important to assess not only weight loss but also safety and the effects on growth and development," said Fu Junfen, a professor at the Children's Hospital affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. "Through the Phase 3 trial now under way, we plan to confirm efficacy and safety more closely."
Kwak Dal-won, chief executive of HK inno.N, said the results are "a meaningful achievement that confirms the potential of ecnoglutide in treating adolescent obesity," adding that the company is "reviewing development strategies from multiple angles to provide a range of options to patients in South Korea."
