Regeneron is making an upfront payment of $80 million to Hansoh Pharma for a phase 3 GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist that both firms think may compete with Eli Lilly’s Zepbound.
In addition to the initial cost, Regeneron has consented to pay $1.93 billion in growth and development, legislative, and sales milestones to get the ex-China rights to the asset known as HS-20094. According to Regeneron, Hansoh has conducted studies on the medicine involving over 1,000 patients, asserting that HS-20094 may possess a profile comparable to Lilly’s licensed GLP-1/GIP agonist.
Hansoh is now conducting a phase 2b research of the drug for diabetes and a phase 3 test for obesity in its native region of China.
Regeneron’s Chief Scientific Officer, George Yancopoulos, stated that although recent advancements in weight loss treatments have been groundbreaking, there are still considerable gaps—particularly in sustaining long-term weight reduction and preserving muscle mass.
Yancopoulos noted that obtaining access to a GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist would enhance the flexibility of their obesity-related clinical initiatives and help expedite their goal of promoting effective, lasting weight loss along with the resulting long-term health improvements.
Regeneron is already in the process of developing an obesity pipeline including the GDF8 antibody trevogrumab. This morning, the firm released intermediate findings from a phase 2 research, indicating that the combination of trevogrumab and semaglutide—the active component of Novo Nordisk’s obesity medication Wegovy—helped with the preservation of lean mass while accelerating fat mass reduction.
Several other biopharmaceutical companies are pursuing the similar objective of treating obesity while preserving muscle mass. Roche aims to combine an intramuscular dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist obtained from Carmot Therapeutics with its proprietary anti-myostatin antibody to assist patients in minimizing the muscle weakening often associated with weight reduction.
Regeneron’s own study is evaluating the efficacy of its anti-activin antibody garetosmab in relation to weight reduction outcomes.
Boaz Hirshberg, the firm’s SVP for clinical development in internal medicine, stated that acquiring rights to a late-stage GLP-1/GIP agonist would enable the company to explore combination treatments with its own proprietary therapies. This approach aims to comprehensively tackle muscle loss and potentially other health issues commonly linked to obesity, including heart disease, diabetes, and liver disorders.
Regeneron described the progress as a significant advancement in its obesity research efforts, noting that this includes the ongoing phase 2 COURAGE trial, which is evaluating the muscle-preserving effects of adding trevogrumab.
Regeneron is not the only pharmaceutical giant seeing the promise in Hansoh’s obesity pipeline. Merck & Co. concluded the previous year by disbursing $112 million in advance for a preclinical GLP-1 medication, which the firm anticipates would provide extensive cardiometabolic advantages.
