MetaVia, a U.S.-based clinical-stage biotechnology company affiliated with Dong-A ST, a South Korean pharmaceutical company, has released early clinical data suggesting that the next phase of obesity treatment may extend beyond GLP-1–only drugs that now dominate the U.S. market.
In Phase 1b results disclosed this week, the company said its experimental therapy, DA-1726, demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability while producing rapid weight loss alongside improvements in blood glucose and liver-related markers. The findings come as clinicians and drugmakers search for options that address limitations of existing GLP-1 therapies, including dose escalation burdens and limited impact on obesity-related liver disease.
The eight-week study evaluated a fixed, non-titrated 48 mg dose in adults with obesity, a design that contrasts with the gradual dose escalation required for most current injectable treatments. According to the company, no treatment-related discontinuations were reported, and gastrointestinal adverse events were largely mild to moderate.
DA-1726 is designed to activate both the GLP-1 receptor and the glucagon receptor, mimicking the activity of the hormone oxyntomodulin. The dual mechanism aims to suppress appetite while increasing energy expenditure, an approach researchers believe may lead to greater reductions in visceral fat than GLP-1 drugs alone.
By day 26, participants recorded an average weight loss of 6.1%, with waist circumference reduced by 2.3 inches. By day 54, average weight loss reached 9.1%, and waist circumference declined by 3.9 inches. Fasting blood glucose improved by an average of 12.3 mg/dL, easing concerns that glucagon activity could destabilize glycemic control.
Liver-related outcomes were among the more notable findings. Measurements using vibration-controlled transient elastography showed liver stiffness declined by 23.7% from baseline over the eight-week period. The technique is recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a noninvasive biomarker in the development of treatments for metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis, or MASH.
Hyung Hun Kim, MetaVia’s chief executive, said the data suggest that combining glucagon signaling with GLP-1 activity may enhance reductions in abdominal fat without compromising blood glucose stability. He added that the absence of mandatory dose titration could improve adherence in real-world clinical settings, where discontinuation remains a challenge.
MetaVia plans to expand its clinical program with a 16-week study testing a single-step escalation to 48 mg and a two-step escalation to 64 mg. Results are expected later this year.
The Phase 1b trial enrolled adults with obesity defined as a body mass index of 30–45 kg/m² in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design. While the findings remain preliminary, they reflect a broader effort in the U.S. obesity drug landscape to move beyond weight loss alone and address the metabolic complications that often accompany it.
