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.
An ECO 2026 analysis covered May 18 by ScienceDaily examined 89,718 patients starting GLP-1 therapy — 75.6% semaglutide, 17.5% tirzepatide, 6.9% liraglutide — and stratified BMI change at year one. In the first year, 27% reduced BMI by less than 5%, 22.4% by 5-10%, 14.1% by 10-15%, and 15.8% by ≥15%, while 20.8% actually gained weight. Greater weight loss correlated with larger reductions in obesity-related risk endpoints; patients who gained weight after starting treatment faced worse health outcomes than untreated comparators in several measures.
Avacta Therapeutics reported unaudited preliminary results for the 12 months ended December 31, 2025 on Tuesday May 19, 2026, and disclosed that the first patient received treatment in FOCUS-01 — the Phase 1 clinical trial of AVA6103, a FAP-activated exatecan peptide-drug conjugate — in March 2026. AVA6103 is the second pre|CISION-enabled candidate in the Avacta clinical pipeline, after AVA6000 (FAP-Dox, which has Phase Ia/Ib data scheduled at ASCO 2026 in salivary gland cancers). The pre|CISION platform attaches a peptide tetrazolyl moiety cleaved by FAP (fibroblast activation protein) overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts, allowing systemic administration of cytotoxic payloads without the dose-limiting toxicity that constrains free exatecan. FOCUS-01 is enrolling adults with advanced solid tumors. AVA6103 expands the platform from doxorubicin (in AVA6000) to exatecan — a topoisomerase I inhibitor with potency advantages in HER2-low and triple-negative breast cancer.
MetaVia confirmed Monday May 18 that three late-breaking abstracts have been accepted at the ADA 2026 Scientific Sessions (June 5-8 New Orleans). DA-1726 is a once-weekly subcutaneous oxyntomodulin analog functioning as a GLP-1R/GCGR dual agonist for obesity and MASH; Phase 1 Part 3 higher-dose titration results will be presented, with full Phase 1 trial data expected in Q4 2026. Vanoglipel (DA-1241) is a first-in-class GPR119 agonist that promotes endogenous release of GLP-1, GIP, and PYY from the gut; the ADA poster covers synergistic preclinical effects in combination with resmetirom (Madrigal's MASH therapy) and with metformin for type 2 diabetes. The three-poster slate positions MetaVia as one of several mid-cap obesity-pipeline names with clinical data inflections clustered into the ADA + ASCO + EASD 2026 calendar.
BriaCell announced May 15 it has expanded its pipeline to include Bria-OVA+, a next-generation personalized off-the-shelf cell-based immunotherapy for ovarian cancer. The company licensed ovarian-cancer cell lines from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and has commenced development activities to support production of Bria-OVA+ for potential clinical use. The candidate is designed with additional immune-stimulating components to support enhanced anti-tumor activity, building on Phase 2 efficacy and tolerability data in metastatic breast cancer. The company is targeting ovarian cancer because an estimated 21,010 women in the US will be diagnosed in 2026 and approximately 12,450 will die from the disease, with ovarian cancer remaining the deadliest gynecologic cancer. The expansion adds to the BriaCell platform spanning Bria-IMT (metastatic breast), Bria-OTS+ (next-gen breast and prostate), Bria-PROS+ (prostate), and Bria-BRES+ (breast).
BriaCell announced May 14 it has completed manufacturing of clinical supplies for Bria-PROS+, the company's prostate cancer cell-based immunotherapy candidate, positioning the program for an IND filing and Phase 1/2 initiation later in 2026. On May 13, BriaCell added Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center as a clinical site for the pivotal Phase 3 Bria-IMT metastatic breast cancer study, bringing the trial-site network to include Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven and Los Angeles Cancer Network. The two announcements come ahead of BriaCell's six accepted ASCO 2026 abstract presentations on Bria-IMT and Bria-OTS+ in metastatic breast cancer, scheduled for the May 29-June 2 Chicago meeting. The May 6 FDA clearance for the Bria-BRES+ clinical study completes a busy two-week operational cadence for the company.
Aivocode is preparing first-in-human Phase 1 dosing for its CAQK tetrapeptide candidate in acute traumatic brain injury, building on the December 2025 EMBO Molecular Medicine paper that established the neuroprotective mechanism in rodent models. CAQK is a four-amino-acid peptide (Cys-Ala-Gln-Lys) that homes specifically to brain extracellular matrix exposed by tissue damage, enabling targeted delivery of therapeutic payloads to injured but not healthy brain regions. The preclinical data showed reduced lesion volume and improved functional recovery in mouse and rat TBI models when CAQK was conjugated to neuroprotective small molecules. The Phase 1 program — IND-enabling work ongoing — would represent one of the few peptide-based TBI candidates entering clinical testing, an indication with no FDA-approved neuroprotective therapies.
Eli Lilly's TRIUMPH program for retatrutide — a triple GIP/GLP-1/glucagon receptor agonist — has TRIUMPH-1 (general obesity without T2D, 80 weeks, 2,007 participants) and TRIUMPH-2 (obesity + T2D) reading out in Q2-Q3 2026. Both are pivotal for the planned NDA filing. The earlier TRIUMPH-4 readout in December 2025 delivered 28.7% mean weight loss at 68 weeks on 12 mg dosing with 75% knee osteoarthritis pain reduction. The full TRIUMPH program runs eight pivotal trials with >5,800 participants total: obesity, T2D, OSA, MASLD, knee OA, cardiovascular outcomes (TRIUMPH-OUTCOMES, ~10,000 patients reading out 2027), and dose-extension studies. A new safety signal noted in Phase 2 — a small uptick in mild-to-moderate hepatic enzyme elevations on 12 mg dosing — will be monitored carefully in Phase 3 readouts. Lilly's $4.5B Lebanon Indiana investment (announced May 6) targets retatrutide manufacturing capacity ahead of the 2027 approval window.
The New England Journal of Medicine published Revolution Medicines' daraxonrasib (RMC-6236) Phase 1/2 data in previously treated advanced RAS-mutated pancreatic adenocarcinoma in May 2026. In the subgroup of 26 patients with G12 mutations treated at the 300 mg dose, objective response rate hit 35% with median progression-free survival 8.5 months and median overall survival 13.1 months — outcomes meaningfully better than the historical 5-month median OS in second-line PDAC. The mechanism is unusual: daraxonrasib is an oral small molecule that acts as a molecular glue, recruiting the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase cyclophilin A to form a tri-complex with active GTP-bound mutant RAS, blocking effector binding and downstream signaling. The drug targets KRAS, HRAS, and NRAS in the on-state — a mechanistically distinct approach from Chugai's LUNA18 cyclic peptide RAS inhibitor. FDA granted Expanded Access. The cyclophilin A-mediated mechanism puts peptidyl-prolyl chemistry at the center of a major oncology readout.
The Lancet formalized SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN on May 14, 2026, the same day the trial was presented at ECO 2026 in Istanbul. The Phase 3b 112-week study from Dr. Deborah Horn and colleagues at UTHealth Houston re-randomized patients who had reached maximum tolerated dose tirzepatide to continue MTD (15 mg or 10 mg), step down to 5 mg, or switch to placebo. Patients continuing MTD were 7x more likely to maintain their weight loss than those switching to placebo; the 5 mg step-down arm was 4x more likely than placebo. At week 112, MTD continuers preserved all of their initial weight loss; 5 mg-step-down patients lost only 5.6 kg of their initial gains on average. The 'seven times more likely' framing — picked up by EurekAlert and the daily science press — is the cleanest patient-facing summary of maintenance economics published to date.
PepGen reported Q1 2026 results on May 14 with topline data from the Phase 2 FREEDOM2-DM1 5 mg/kg multiple-ascending-dose cohort. PGN-EDODM1 — the company's peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) — produced a mean splicing correction of 7.3% in 6 treated patients vs 6.8% in 2 placebo patients, with no serious adverse events and mainly mild treatment-emergent adverse events. The 10 mg/kg cohort is fully enrolled with data expected H2 2026; the 12.5 mg/kg cohort readout is expected in 2027. PepGen received regulatory clearance to initiate FREEDOM2 sites in South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand to add to existing sites in Canada and the UK. Q1 net loss of $17.8M (vs $30.2M a year earlier); $132.3M cash supports operations through the 12.5 mg/kg MAD readout into 2H 2027. The DM1 program is PepGen's lead clinical asset following the April DMD program discontinuation; it competes with Vertex/Entrada's VX-670 cyclic peptide-oligonucleotide (GALILEO Phase 1/2, H2 2026 readout).
Crinetics also disclosed in the May 7 Q1 update that the company is on track to initiate a seamless Phase 2/3 trial of atumelnant in ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome in Q2 2026. The trial will assess efficacy in a broad population including Cushing's disease and ectopic ACTH syndrome. Atumelnant is also in Phase 3 for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Separately, Crinetics announced an exclusive license agreement with Ohio University to develop an early-preclinical growth hormone receptor antagonist (GHRA) for acromegaly — a mechanism complementary to paltusotine's SST2 agonism that would compete in the same indication once both reach market.
Novo Nordisk's CagriSema REDEFINE 1 cardiovascular sub-analyses, presented at ECO 2026 on Thursday May 14, layered onto the May 12 body-composition data. At week 68, CagriSema (cagrilintide 2.4 mg + semaglutide 2.4 mg) reduced systolic blood pressure by 10.9 mmHg vs 8.8 with semaglutide alone and 2.1 with placebo. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein dropped 68.9% vs 55.4% (semaglutide) and 16.0% (placebo). The 10-year predicted atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk decreased meaningfully on CagriSema versus all comparators, with fewer participants on CagriSema falling into the intermediate-to-high-risk category. The sub-analyses sharpen the combination-therapy case beyond the 22.7% mean weight-loss headline.
Prof. Jens-Christian Holm and colleagues at the Children's Obesity Clinic (European Centre for Obesity Management at Holbæk Hospital) presented RESETTLE at ECO 2026 on May 13. The randomized trial enrolled young adults aged 18-28 who remained severely obese despite at least one year of hospital-based non-pharmacological treatment in childhood. After 68 weeks of once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg vs placebo, the treatment arm achieved 19% mean BMI reduction (22.3 kg average weight loss). Total fat mass, abdominal fat, and liver fat all improved substantially vs placebo. The data fills a clinical gap — most semaglutide weight-loss trials excluded young adults coming out of structured pediatric obesity programs, leaving prescribers without evidence for one of the most underserved cohorts.
Innovent Biologics announced May 12 that it will present multiple clinical and preclinical results from mazdutide and its next-generation obesity & metabolic pipeline at the 2026 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, June 5-8. Mazdutide is a GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist developed initially for the Chinese market. The Phase 3 GLORY-2 trial in Chinese adults with moderate-to-severe obesity reported a mean 18.55% weight reduction at 60 weeks on 9 mg dosing (vs ~3% placebo); 44% of GLORY-2 patients hit ≥20% body weight loss vs 2.5% on placebo. The Phase 3 head-to-head DREAMS-3 trial in T2D + obesity showed 48% of mazdutide patients hit HbA1c <7% + ≥10% weight loss vs 21% on semaglutide at week 32. The 9 mg dose is under NMPA review for approval in China. Mazdutide is the leading non-Lilly dual GLP-1/glucagon program competing with Boehringer's survodutide and earlier-stage Western programs.
Eli Lilly published SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN in The Lancet and ATTAIN-MAINTAIN in Nature Medicine on May 12, with concurrent presentation at ECO 2026 in Istanbul. SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN tested lower-dose Zepbound (tirzepatide 5 mg) vs maximum tolerated dose: at week 112, MTD preserved all weight loss while the 5 mg arm lost only 5.6 kg additional. ATTAIN-MAINTAIN tested Foundayo (orforglipron) as a switch from injectable GLP-1s in SURMOUNT-5 participants: orforglipron preserved 79.3% of injectable-phase weight loss vs 37.6% on placebo at week 52; Wegovy MTD switchers regained only 0.9 kg, Zepbound MTD switchers regained 5.0 kg. The dual readout reframes the maintenance-versus-discontinuation conversation: dose-tapering and oral-switching strategies now have Phase 3 evidence behind them, validating the long-term-treatment chronic-disease framing.
Viking Therapeutics presented full 13-week Phase 2 VENTURE-Oral data at ECO 2026 May 12 in Istanbul: once-daily oral VK2735 produced statistically significant, dose-dependent mean weight loss up to 12.2% (26.6 lbs) over 13 weeks with placebo-adjusted significance starting at Week 1. The favorable tolerability profile and rapid early onset of effect support Viking's Q4 2026 plan to initiate a Phase 3 trial of the oral formulation following positive FDA feedback. The data complements the Phase 3 VANQUISH-1 subcutaneous program (4,650 patients enrolled November 2025) and VANQUISH-2 in T2D+obesity (~1,000 patients, enrollment completed March 26, 2026). VK2735's dual GLP-1/GIP mechanism puts it in direct comparison with tirzepatide and the next-generation Mounjaro/Zepbound franchise.
Novo Nordisk presented new OASIS 4 subanalyses of the Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25 mg) at ECO 2026 on May 13. Nearly one third (29%) of patients were classified as 'early responders' — losing at least 10% body weight by week 16 — and continued treatment to 64 weeks for a mean 21.6% body weight loss vs 13.2% at four months. A separate physical function analysis showed 77.3% of patients with poor baseline physical function achieved clinically meaningful improvement (bending over, standing comfortably, staying active) vs 42.9% on placebo. The data adds to the OASIS 4 February 2026 16.6% mean weight-loss headline by stratifying patients on early response — a likely tool for prescribers thinking about dose escalation and persistence.
PepGen announced in May 2026 a strategic pivot away from Duchenne muscular dystrophy after the 10 mg/kg cohort of CONNECT1-EDO51 produced only 0.59% of normal dystrophin levels in four patients — well below the threshold of clinical meaningfulness. The company will discontinue DMD program development and focus on the FREEDOM2-DM1 Phase 2 program in myotonic dystrophy type 1, with 5 mg/kg cohort data anticipated. PepGen's Enhanced Delivery Oligonucleotide (EDO) platform conjugates peptide carriers to phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) for tissue-targeted delivery. The DM1 program competes with Vertex's VX-670 cyclic peptide-oligonucleotide conjugate (GALILEO Phase 1/2, H2 2026 readout) and Sarepta/Avidity Biosciences in the same indication.