Verdiva Bio Limited, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, will present promising data on its investigational once-weekly oral obesity therapies at the American Diabetes Association's 85th Scientific Sessions. The company's Phase 1 results for VRB-101 and preclinical data for VRB-103 demonstrate the potential for convenient oral alternatives to current injectable treatments.
VRB-101 Achieves Comparable Drug Levels to Injectable Therapies
Phase 1 clinical pharmacokinetic data for VRB-101, Verdiva's cAMP-biased oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, provides proof of concept for potential once-weekly oral administration. The investigational therapy is formulated with Verdiva's proprietary oral delivery technology T2026, which has been clinically validated.
Results demonstrated that oral VRB-101 achieved drug levels comparable to, or exceeding, those of currently available once-weekly injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies. These findings support continued investigation of VRB-101 as a potential once-weekly, scalable oral therapeutic option for both weight reduction and long-term weight maintenance.
"Phase 1 results demonstrated that oral VRB-101 achieved drug levels comparable to, or exceeding, those of currently available once-weekly injectable GLP-1RA therapies," according to the company's data presentation.
Novel Amylin Analog Shows Additive Effects in Combination
Preclinical data on VRB-103, Verdiva's once-weekly oral amylin analog, supports continued development both as a monotherapy and in combination with VRB-101. In preclinical models, the rationally designed peptide combination showed an additive effect on body weight reduction.
The co-formulation of these peptides in a single tablet with T2026 maintained comparable plasma exposure for both compounds. This data supports continued development of VRB-103 as both a monotherapy and in combination with VRB-101.
First-in-Class Oral Peptide Candidates
According to Dr. Mohamed Eid, Chief Medical Officer at Verdiva, these compounds represent "the only once-weekly oral amylin and oral GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA) candidates known to be advancing into clinical studies."
"The early clinical and preclinical data not only show the potential of these compounds individually, but also the additive effect they may have in combination, highlighting the flexibility of our modular portfolio approach," Eid stated.
Addressing Patient Adherence and Convenience
The development of once-weekly oral formulations addresses key challenges in obesity treatment, particularly patient adherence and convenience. VRB-101 has the potential to exert potent weight reduction and may improve adherence via a more patient-friendly dosing regimen compared to injectable alternatives.
Verdiva Bio is committed to developing convenient, patient-friendly and commercially scalable therapeutic options for obesity, cardiometabolic disorders and related complications. The company's approach leverages emerging science in gut-brain biology to advance novel therapeutic options aimed at transforming the lives of millions living with obesity worldwide.
The data presentations mark Verdiva Bio's first appearance at the prestigious ADA meeting, representing a key milestone for the clinical-stage company as it advances its modular portfolio approach to obesity treatment.
