Peptide News Digest

#Arch-Venture-Partners

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Moonwalk Biosciences Closes Oversubscribed $70 Million Series B With Eli Lilly Participation to Advance Adipose-Targeted RNAi (MW101) Toward Late-2027 First-in-Human for Obesity

Moonwalk Biosciences announced Tuesday September 8, 2026 an oversubscribed $70 million Series B financing to advance first-in-class adipose tissue-targeted RNA interference (RNAi) medicines for obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. The round was co-led by Alpha Wave and YK Bioventures with participation from Eli Lilly and Company, Gaorong Ventures, and existing investors ARCH Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, and Future Ventures. Proceeds will move lead candidate MW101 toward first-in-human clinical studies in late 2027 and support the broader adipose-targeted siRNA pipeline. Moonwalk's approach uses siRNA delivery specifically to adipose tissue to modulate non-incretin pathways governing energy homeostasis, adipogenesis, lipolysis, and thermogenesis while minimizing systemic effects. The company claims preclinical models show reductions in body weight and fat mass with lean-muscle preservation — the same value proposition Enveda's ENV-308 and Amgen's MariTide are pitching from different mechanisms. Lilly's investor participation extends the Lilly obesity-adjacent equity portfolio that already includes stakes in Superluminal Medicines (MC4R agonist, $60M Series B September 3), Verve Therapeutics (base editing, acquired 2025), and others.

Industry · View digest

Chinese Innovative Drug Developer Haisco Pharmaceutical Group (SHE: 002653) Entered Wednesday August 26, 2026 an Exclusive Licensing Agreement With Sentivera, a Newly Formed US Venture Backed by Population Health Partners and ARCH Venture Partners, Extending the Growing Chinese Biotech Pattern of Ex-China Commercialization Partnerships Alongside Hengrui-Kailera (Ribupatide GLP-1/GIP Dual Agonist Peptide, in Global Phase 3), Hanmi-Genentech (HM17321 UCN2 Analog Peptide for Obesity, $190M Upfront + $2.3B Milestones, Announced August 24), and Innovent Biologics' Expanding US IND Activity (IBI3032 FDA IND Clearance August 5); Financial Terms and Specific Asset Details for the Haisco-Sentivera Agreement Have Not Been Fully Publicly Disclosed

Chinese innovative drug developer Haisco Pharmaceutical Group (SHE: 002653) entered Wednesday August 26, 2026 an exclusive licensing agreement with Sentivera, a newly formed US venture backed by Population Health Partners and ARCH Venture Partners. Financial terms and specific asset details for the Haisco-Sentivera agreement have not been fully publicly disclosed in initial press coverage; additional detail is expected in the deal filing documents. The transaction extends the growing Chinese biotech pattern of ex-China commercialization partnerships that has substantially accelerated across 2025 and 2026. Recent comparable transactions include: Hengrui Pharma to Kailera Therapeutics for ribupatide (once-weekly injectable GLP-1/GIP dual agonist peptide, in Kailera's global Phase 3 KaiNETIC program); Hanmi Pharm to Genentech for HM17321 (urocortin-2 analog peptide for obesity via CRFR2 receptor, $190 million upfront + up to $2.3 billion in milestones + tiered royalties, announced August 24); Innovent Biologics' IBI3032 receiving FDA IND clearance August 5 and multiple additional Chinese CDE implied licenses August 18 for synchronized dual-region development; and Minwei Bio's MWN105 Phase Ib registration August 19-20 targeting semaglutide-intolerant populations. The pattern reflects the increasing sophistication of Chinese biotech clinical strategy targeting global markets rather than China-only launches, and it also reflects US venture capital interest in accessing Chinese-originated clinical-stage assets at attractive valuations relative to comparable US biotech candidates.