Kailera Therapeutics Preps Global Ex-China Phase 3 for Hengrui-Partnered Ribupatide Injection Following China Filings
Kailera Therapeutics (NASDAQ: KLRA) continues through September 2026 the ramp toward global ex-China Phase 3 initiation for ribupatide (a once-weekly subcutaneous injection GIP/GLP-1/glucagon triple agonist peptide licensed globally ex-China from Hengrui Pharma under the May 2024 up-to-$5+ billion collaboration). The China Phase 3 program is complete with mean weight loss of nearly 18% at 48 weeks in Chinese overweight and obese adults. Ribupatide oral formulation (HRS-7535, licensed as KAI-7535 to Kailera ex-China) had NMPA marketing authorization applications accepted in China September 2, 2026 for both obesity and type 2 diabetes based on the OUTSTAND-1 and OUTSTAND-2 Phase 3 trials. The global ex-China ribupatide Phase 3 program is designed to run against Eli Lilly's retatrutide (28.3% weight loss in TRIUMPH-1) as the second-in-class triple-agonist option, and Kailera has signaled ambition to file in the U.S. within 12-18 months of Phase 3 readout. Ribupatide would be the third Chinese-origin GLP-1-class asset to reach U.S. clinical development, following Innovent-Lilly mazdutide and Sciwind-Pfizer ecnoglutide.