Eli Lilly and China-based biotech Laekna team on obesity drug

Earlier on Wednesday, Laekna, “a global biotech company focused on novel drug development for metabolic and cancer diseases,” accoding to its release, announced a clinical collaboration with Eli Lilly (LLY) and Company to accelerate the development of LAE102, a novel ActRIIA mAb as a novel treatment for obesity. Accelerating innovative treatments like this hopefully can make a meaningful impact on the obesity epidemic and the lives of millions of people affected by obesity… The collaboration will focus on the development and clinical evaluation of LAE102, an innovative ActRIIA antagonistic mAb that may have potential as a first-in-class therapy in this disease area. ActRIIA is a receptor that has been shown to play a critical role in muscle regeneration and lipid metabolism. LAE102 has been shown to both increase lean mass and decrease fat mass in pre-clinical models. If successful, LAE102 could, in combination with a GLP1R agonist, further reduce fat mass and significantly regain the lean mass loss induced by GLP1R agonist. This positions LAE102 as a promising complementary drug candidate for achieving quality weight control.By combining Laekna’s novel approach with Lilly’s decades-long experience in metabolic diseases, the partnership aims to significantly advance the standard of care in obesity management….Lilly will be utilizing Lilly’s Catalyze360-ExploR&D engine to accelerate the development of LAE102.