Bengaluru-based biotechnology company RenaissThera Private Limited announced a significant breakthrough in its obesity drug discovery program, successfully identifying novel oral small molecule compounds targeting the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR). The milestone represents a major step toward developing more accessible obesity treatments for underserved populations worldwide.
AI-Powered Drug Discovery Yields Promising Candidates
RenaissThera's proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning platforms successfully designed and screened novel GIPR modulators, including both agonists and antagonists. These compounds demonstrated measurable in-vitro activity in cell lines and in-vivo activity impacting GIPR in mice, yielding what the company terms "hits" ready for advancement.
GIPR, an incretin receptor, represents a validated target for obesity treatment, with both stimulation and inhibition showing efficacy in treating obesity and its co-morbidities through existing peptide-based parenteral therapies. RenaissThera's approach focuses on developing oral small molecules as a more economical alternative to current peptide-based obesity drugs.
Addressing Market Access Through Cost-Effective Innovation
The company's oral small molecule approach addresses a critical gap in the obesity treatment landscape. Oral formulations are significantly more economical to manufacture and distribute than peptide-based drugs, potentially expanding access for underserved populations in the global obesity market projected to reach $38 billion by 2032.
"We are grateful to our investors and collaborators for supporting us in reaching this milestone. Our team is focused on pushing candidates toward IND-readiness next year and we are in active discussions with potential pharma partners and investors interested in our obesity program," said Dr. Ramkesh Meena, MD, CEO of RenaissThera.
Strategic Collaboration Accelerates Development
RenaissThera's progress was enabled through its collaboration with VedTechBio Research Private Limited, which provided access to its Agentic AI platform RxAgentAI and discovery expertise. The partnership demonstrates the potential of AI-powered drug discovery platforms in accelerating therapeutic development.
"We are very pleased with the outcomes of our collaboration with RenaissThera. This milestone further validates our platform and capabilities across key therapeutic areas including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, oncology, and inflammation," said VedTechBio's Managing Director Sudhir Nagarajan.
Expanding Innovation Portfolio
Beyond the current GIPR program, RenaissThera is filing 'Composition of Matter' and utility patents for these oral novel small molecule GIPR modulators while continuing to expand its innovation portfolio targeting GIP, GLP-1, and apelin receptors in obesity and diabetes. The company's AI-powered Innovation Platform integrates GenAI and machine learning tools to accelerate the design and optimization of novel small molecules.
RenaissThera is now advancing these hits to the lead optimization program to select candidates for pre-IND studies, with plans to achieve IND-readiness by next year. The company leverages India's contract research organization ecosystem for early-stage research and development to deliver globally relevant innovation while maintaining cost-effectiveness.
