ASC37’s average in vitro activity was approximately 5-, 4-, and 4-fold more potent than retatrutide for GLP-1R, GIPR and GCGR, respectively
Ascletis Pharma Inc. announces that it has selected ASC37 injection, a next-generation, once-monthly, subcutaneously administered GLP-1R/GIPR/GCGRtriple peptide agonist, as a clinical development candidate. Ascletis expects to submit an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ASC37 injection for the treatment of obesity in the second quarter of 2026.
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ASC37, a GLP-1R/GIPR/GCGR triple peptide agonist, was discovered and developed in-house utilizing Ascletis’ Artificial Intelligence-assisted Structure-Based Drug Discovery (AISBDD) and Ultra-Long-Acting Platform (ULAP) technologies. ASC37’s average in vitro activity was approximately 5-, 4-, and 4-fold more potent than retatrutide for GLP-1R, GIPR and GCGR, respectively. ASC37 is engineered for a longer observed half-life, compared to once-weekly administered retatrutide, to support once-monthly subcutaneous (SQ) dosing, with injection volume of one milliliter or less. These engineered properties also allow for scalability advantages in manufacturing.
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In head-to-head non-human primate (NHP) studies, ASC37 proprietary SQ depot formulations had an average observed half-life of approximately 17 days, 7-fold longer than retatrutide in the standard liquid formulation.
ASC37 injection’s superior in vitro potency and longer observed half-life compared to retatrutide demonstrate its potential as a next-generation treatment for obesity.
“With ASC37, we are advancing a potentially more potent, next-generation triple agonist into the clinic which supports once-monthly dosing,” said Jinzi Jason Wu, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ascletis. “Expected initiation of our Phase I study in the second half of 2026 will be another step in our comprehensive strategy to improve the treatment options for people with obesity.”
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Source- PR Newswire
