The Hong Kong-listed biotech said its triple peptide agonist also showed up to 41.5% weight loss in preclinical testing, with IND filings for monthly subcutaneous and oral formulations planned in Q3 2026.
Ascletis Pharma said ASC37, its next-generation GLP-1R/GIPR/GCGR triple peptide agonist, delivered statistically significant 88% greater relative body weight reduction than tirzepatide in a diet-induced obese mouse model after 11 days at the same 1 nmol/kg dose. The company said ASC37 produced a 14.1% body weight reduction versus 7.5% for tirzepatide, and showed dose-dependent weight loss of up to 41.5% in the mouse study. Ascletis plans to submit Investigational New Drug applications in the third quarter of 2026 for both a once-monthly subcutaneous formulation and an oral formulation. It said both products would later be filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, U.S. drug regulator) through biologics license applications after Phase III completion because ASC37 has 41 alpha amino acids and qualifies as a biologic. The company also said ASC37’s subcutaneous Self Assembly Lipid Depot formulation showed an approximately 17-day observed half-life in non-human primates, compared with 2.5 days for retatrutide, which it said supports once-monthly or less frequent dosing. Ascletis added that biologic status could bring longer exclusivity and a 13-year exemption from government price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act, versus nine years for small molecules.