September 28, 2026

Roche Drops Emugrobart Obesity Antibody, EASD Study on Heart Risk Below GLP-1 Cutoffs, Bacterial Cyclic Peptide Switch

Roche drops emugrobart after a Phase 2 interim look, an EASD study flags heart risk below GLP-1 cutoffs, and Jena chemists map a peptide's function switch.

3 stories · Covering clinical-trials, research

Editor's Note

EASD opened in Milan on Monday, but most of the headline obesity data, including Lilly's retatrutide TRIUMPH-2 results and Novo's zenagamtide Phase 2b, is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. The first meeting-timed study questions where the current GLP-1 eligibility line sits: a Copenhagen analysis of more than 313,000 adults found that people with a BMI of 25 to 26.9 plus high remnant cholesterol and low-grade inflammation had a heart-disease risk similar to people who already qualify, though the data are observational. Roche dropped emugrobart, an antibody meant to preserve muscle alongside GLP-1/GIP drugs, after an interim analysis found the Phase 2 trial unlikely to reach its weight-loss goal. Separately, the comment period on the FDA's July revised draft guidances for 17 generic peptide products, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, closes today, September 28.

Clinical Trials

Roche Ends Obesity Development of Emugrobart, a Muscle-Preserving Anti-Myostatin Antibody, After Phase 2 GYMINDA Interim Analysis

Chugai announced on Monday, September 28, 2026 that Roche is discontinuing development of emugrobart (GYM329), a subcutaneous anti-latent myostatin antibody, for obesity after an interim analysis of the Phase 2 GYMINDA study concluded that the trial was unlikely to meet its pre-specified weight-loss objectives. GYMINDA tested emugrobart in combination with GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists in people with obesity or overweight; Chugai said the antibody was well tolerated, with no new safety signals. All rights return to Chugai, which is preparing to resume development in spinal muscular atrophy and considering out-licensing; Roche had already stopped emugrobart development in spinal muscular atrophy and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy in March 2026.

#roche #chugai #emugrobart #myostatin #muscle-preservation #obesity

Research

Copenhagen Analysis at EASD Finds Half of Adults With a BMI of 25 to 26.9 Carry Markers Tied to Heart Risk Similar to GLP-1-Eligible Patients

Researchers led by Karen Hvid of Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, are presenting at the EASD annual meeting in Milan an analysis of 313,145 adults with a BMI of 25 or higher and no coronary heart disease or diabetes, drawn from the Copenhagen General Population Study and UK Biobank and followed for up to 18 and 15 years. About 44% (Copenhagen) and 48% (UK Biobank) of people with a BMI of 25 to 26.9, who fall below current GLP-1 weight-loss eligibility, had elevated remnant cholesterol, low-grade inflammation, or both. Those with both markers and no drug indication were 41% (Copenhagen) and 47% (UK Biobank) more likely to develop heart disease than people without an indication and with healthy levels, compared with increases of 41% and 35% among people who already qualify for the drugs. The findings are observational, and the authors said clinical trials are needed.

#glp-1 #easd-2026 #cardiovascular #obesity

Research

Jena Chemists Show Pandoraea Bacteria Trim the Lipid Tail Off a Cyclic Peptide to Switch It From Swarming Aid to Iron Scavenger

Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (Leibniz-HKI) and the University of Jena, with senior author Christian Hertweck, reported in Angewandte Chemie International Edition that Pandoraea bacteria, a group that includes opportunistic pathogens, make lipopeptide siderophores called pandorachelins. An enzyme called PdnM removes the fatty-acid tail from pandorachelin B, triggering a rearrangement that contracts its ring into pandorachelin A, a head-to-tail cyclic peptide. The tailed form works as a surfactant that helps the bacteria swarm, while the trimmed form binds iron more tightly but no longer promotes movement. The paper was published online on July 24, 2026 and described by phys.org on September 25; the authors suggested the findings could inform drug delivery, but no medical use has been tested.

#cyclic-peptide #lipopeptide #siderophore #biosynthesis