From Weight Gain to Weight Loss: The Story Behind Endevica Bio’s Drug Candidate

Endevica Bio’s experimental drug to treat obesity has its roots in my research seeking to do the reverse: help people gain weight.

During my medical fellowship more than two decades ago, I worked in a lab where everyone was studying obesity – a disease that affects more than 40% of Americans. But my interest was in a different weight regulation project: finding a cure for cachexia, involuntary weight loss that accompanies chronic diseases such as cancer. I had gotten interested in studying cachexia as I child after seeing the impact of this debilitating syndrome on a close friend who ultimately died.

My research focused on the dysregulation of the brain’s regulatory centers and how the melanocortin system could play a role in addressing this complex, chronic condition.   I’ve spent my career delving into this science.

I’ve been working on developing a drug to treat cachexia alongside my colleagues at Endevica Bio. Two years ago, we got very promising results from a Phase 1 study into a peptide called TCMCB07 that we’re developing to treat cachexia. This came at a time when excitement was building over GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. When we saw the data from our study, we had what I would call an “oh my gosh!” moment. We realized that very conservative changes in the chemistry of our molecule should switch it from a weight gain drug to a weight loss drug – without compromising safety and efficacy.

We believed our research had the potential to revolutionize the treatment of obesity. Within six months, Endevica Bio discovered our peptide targeting obesity, 710GO, which leverages the melanocortin system to induce weight loss, both alone and in combination with GLP-1s.

The most exciting part of our drug candidate is that it may prove more efficacious than the GLP-1s and have fewer side effects. We conducted monkey studies that showed 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 GLP-1s, which typically cause a rapid decrease in appetite followed by a rebound. Additionally, monkeys taking the drug favored consumption of high fiber, low fat foods instead of calorically dense treats.

We’re excited to begin a Phase 1 study next year. This drug holds great potential for those who struggle to lose weight, and we’re thrilled at the prospect of being able to offer another option to the thousands of people who struggle with weight.

Dr. Daniel Marks is Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Endevica Bio.