Clinical trial coverage on Peptide News Digest pulls in Phase 1 through Phase 3 readouts across the peptide universe — GLP-1 obesity and cardiometabolic trials (SELECT, SURMOUNT-4, ACHIEVE-3, REDEFINE-1, SYNCHRONIZE-1), peptide vaccine work (AMPLIFY-201, MEL39), peptide-drug conjugate trials, and antimicrobial peptide programs.
Most of the noise sits with Lilly and Novo, but the interesting reads are usually elsewhere: Bicycle Therapeutics on solid tumors, Lirum on Ewing sarcoma, Cerapedics on lumbar fusion, Pelage on hair loss. Real-world evidence and registry data also land here when they reframe what the randomized trials showed.
Each entry names the sponsor, the phase, and the endpoint. Browse the latest below, or jump to the readouts by drug at #semaglutide, #tirzepatide, or #orforglipron.
Boehringer Ingelheim disclosed alongside the survodutide topline that BI 3034701, a first-in-class triple GLP-1/GIP/NPY2 receptor agonist peptide, will enter Phase 2 in mid-2026. The compound completed a randomized placebo-controlled Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers and people with overweight/obesity that demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability and encouraging weight loss. BI 3034701 was developed in collaboration with Gubra, with Boehringer responsible for further development and global commercialization. The novel NPY2 component targets satiety pathways complementary to incretin agonism — a meaningful mechanistic differentiation in the next-gen obesity pipeline.
Scholar Rock's apitegromab — a selective pro/latent myostatin antibody approved for SMA — continues to draw obesity-pipeline attention with EMBRAZE Phase 2 data showing 54.9% relative lean mass preservation when combined with tirzepatide vs tirzepatide alone (4.2 lbs / 1.9 kg additional lean mass preserved, p=0.001). Body composition shifted from 70% fat/30% lean with tirzepatide alone to 85%/15% with the combination. SRK-439 next-gen selective myostatin inhibitor is in preclinical development with attenuation of fat-mass rebound after GLP-1 withdrawal as a key signal.
Regeneron's COURAGE Phase 2 data presented at EASD 2025 continue to drive obesity-pipeline conversations. Semaglutide alone produced 6.5% lean mass loss at 26 weeks; sema + trevogrumab 200 mg cut that to 3.3% (~half), and the triplet with garetosmab (anti-activin A) pushed to 2.0% lean mass loss with 92.6% fat-mass loss. The triplet had higher discontinuation for tolerability. Full COURAGE completion is expected late 2026, with Phase 3 initiation likely 2027.
Boehringer Ingelheim confirmed completion of the 76-week primary endpoint visit for the last participant in Phase 3 SYNCHRONIZE-1. Topline data expected H1 2026 — making it one of the year's most anticipated obesity readouts. Survodutide is a glucagon/GLP-1 dual agonist co-developed with Zealand Pharma. The comprehensive SYNCHRONIZE program also includes SYNCHRONIZE-CVOT (cardiovascular outcomes, fully enrolled). All key trials are scheduled to read out at scientific meetings throughout 2026, potentially paving the way for regulatory submission as the third major obesity GLP-1-class drug after semaglutide and tirzepatide.
The ELAD trial — a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study of liraglutide in 204 mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease participants — published in Nature Medicine (online December 2025) continues to drive clinical-research discussions about GLP-1s in neurodegeneration. Coming after the Phase 3 EVOKE trials' negative cognition results, ELAD's intermediate-stage findings are being parsed for endpoints, mechanisms, and biomarker patterns that may guide future trial design in this contested indication.
BioWorld reported April 24 on Crinetics Pharmaceuticals' CRN09682, a first-in-class non-peptide drug conjugate (NDC) coupling a small-molecule somatostatin receptor 2 (SST2) agonist to monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) via a cleavable linker. The compound is in Phase 1/2 BRAVESST2 trial in metastatic neuroendocrine tumors and other SST2-expressing solid tumors — directly competing with peptide-radioconjugate therapies like Novartis' Lutathera and Perspective Therapeutics' alpha-PRRT. The non-peptide approach trades off receptor-binding peptide selectivity for small-molecule manufacturing simplicity.
Sanofi announced April 22 FDA approval of an expanded Tzield (teplizumab-mzwv) indication for stage 2 type 1 diabetes patients as young as 1 year old, down from the previous 8-and-up indication. The approval was supported by 1-year data from the PETITE-T1D Phase 4 study (n=23, mean age 4.8 years), showing 89.6% probability of remaining stage-3-progression-free at 1 year. Tzield delays progression from stage 2 to stage 3 T1D by an average of 2 years and is the first disease-modifying therapy for autoimmune T1D — relevant to the broader insulin/peptide endocrinology landscape.
Novo Nordisk announced April 23 positive topline results from the PIONEER TEENS trial: a 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3a study of oral semaglutide (3, 7, or 14 mg once daily) in 132 children and adolescents aged 10-17 with type 2 diabetes. Oral semaglutide reduced HbA1c by 0.83 percentage points more than placebo at 26 weeks with a well-tolerated safety profile. Pending regulatory approvals, it would be the first oral GLP-1 RA for this pediatric population. Novo expects to file for label expansion in the US and EU in H2 2026.
Fractyl Health's REMAIN-1 study — the first blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial of an endoscopic 'gut reset' procedure — was accepted for presentation at DDW 2026. In 45 adults who had lost ≥15% body weight on tirzepatide and then discontinued, 29 received Revita duodenal mucosal resurfacing and 16 had a sham procedure. At 6 months post-discontinuation, Revita-treated patients regained 4.5% vs 7.5% for sham (P=0.07) — a 40% lower weight regain. Patients with more tissue resurfaced maintained >80% of pre-discontinuation weight loss. Topline pivotal-cohort data expected Q4 2026.
Bicycle Therapeutics announced April 21 its program for the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting (May 29-June 2 in Chicago), with an oral presentation and five poster abstracts on nuzefatide pevedotin — its EphA2-targeting bicyclic peptide drug conjugate. Key data from Phase 1/2 include the recently disclosed 40% ORR in checkpoint-refractory urothelial cancer, expanded head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma preclinical data, and the selected 8mg/m² Q2W dose for the Phase 2 recurrent pancreatic cancer trial. The program solidifies Nuzefatide's positioning as a leading bicyclic peptide drug conjugate in oncology.
On the final day of AACR 2026, the German Cancer Consortium presented first-in-human imaging data for EphA2 BIA — a gallium-68-labeled bicyclic peptide targeting EphA2 — in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients. Seven patients underwent PET/CT imaging up to three hours post-injection, with rapid tumor uptake and primarily renal excretion in six of seven. The tracer successfully detected liver, bone, lymph node, and peritoneal metastases in 15 of 18 patients imaged to date, validating bicyclic peptides as a radioconjugate imaging modality.
Neurocrine Biosciences announced April 22 two-year data from the Phase 3 CAHtalyst Adult study at AACE 2026 in Las Vegas. CRENESSITY (crinecerfont), a CRF1 receptor antagonist that dampens the CRF-ACTH peptide signaling axis, achieved sustained glucocorticoid dose reductions in adults with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia: mean daily GC dose decreased from 17.6 to 10.6 mg/m²/day HCe (−38%), and approximately 69% of patients achieved GC doses within the physiologic range while maintaining androgen control. No new safety signals emerged.
Evaxion's AI-designed personalized neoantigen peptide vaccine EVX-01 combined with Keytruda produced a 75% objective response rate at 2 years in advanced melanoma patients, with 86% of vaccine targets triggering de novo T-cell responses. Data were presented April 22 at AACR 2026; 3-year follow-up expected in H2 2026. The 86% target-hit rate demonstrates AI-designed peptide neoantigen selection maturing for cancer vaccines.
IQVIA tracking data reported April 21 showed Eli Lilly's newly-launched oral GLP-1 Foundayo (orforglipron) drew 1,390 prescriptions in its first full week (April 6-10), roughly 45% of the 3,071 Wegovy pill scripts in Novo Nordisk's launch week in January. Analyst consensus requires Foundayo to hit about 5.4 million prescriptions from April-December to generate $1.7 billion in 2026 revenue — a target that looks challenging at the current trajectory.
Perspective Therapeutics' [212Pb]VMT-α-NET, a first-in-class alpha-emitter peptide radionuclide therapy targeting SSTR2, achieved objective responses in 10 of 23 (43%) Cohort 2 patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors in Phase 1/2a data presented at AACR 2026. 18 of 25 patients (72%) remained alive without progression; no dose-limiting toxicities or Grade 4/5 adverse events observed.
Sapience Therapeutics presented first Phase 2 clinical data from ST316, a first-in-class β-catenin/BCL9 antagonist SPEAR peptide, in second-line metastatic colorectal cancer at AACR 2026. Dose expansion showed a well-tolerated safety profile with no dose-limiting toxicities or related SAEs, significant knockdown of Wnt-related signatures in tumor cells, and dose-proportional PK achieving predicted efficacious exposures.
Asahi Kasei initiated a Phase I trial in Japan of AK1940, a selective TNF receptor 1 antagonist peptide discovered jointly with PeptiDream for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The trial will assess PK, safety, and tolerability of single and multiple subcutaneous doses in healthy volunteers; preclinical models showed high TNFR1 selectivity and anti-inflammatory activity without blocking TNFR2 signaling.
The first definitive Phase 3B head-to-head trial of Lilly's tirzepatide versus Novo Nordisk's semaglutide in 750 patients with obesity over 72 weeks showed tirzepatide produced 21.6% mean weight loss vs semaglutide's 15.4%. 36.2% of tirzepatide patients achieved ≥25% weight loss vs 19.4% on semaglutide. Results published April 20 give Lilly a clear comparative data point in the GLP-1 market share battle.