Peptide News Digest

#Gpcr

2 stories

Industry · View digest

Seoul Economic Daily Published Monday August 17, 2026 a Market Synthesis on the Obesity Drug Runner-Up Field With Structure Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GPCR), Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN, With MariTide Now Positioned as Sole Obesity Focus After Amgen Halted AMG 513 Development), Pfizer (NYSE: PFE, With Danuglipron Plus Metsera Pipeline), and Others Positioning for Approval Filings and Market Launches in 2027-2028 Behind Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) That Currently Dominate the Global Obesity Drug Market; The Sorting of Winners From Losers Based on Phase 3 Results Will Begin in Earnest Starting Next Year With Amgen Expected to Apply for MariTide Regulatory Approval in Late 2026 to Early 2027 and Structure Therapeutics Expected to Initiate Aleniglipron Phase 3 in H2 2026

Seoul Economic Daily published Monday August 17, 2026 a market synthesis on the obesity drug runner-up field. Key runners-up positioning for 2027-2028 approval filings behind Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO): Structure Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GPCR) with aleniglipron (once-daily oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist) expected to initiate Phase 3 in H2 2026; Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) with MariTide (once-monthly injectable dual GIPR antagonist / GLP-1 agonist) now positioned as the sole obesity focus after the July 29 Q2 disclosure that Amgen halted AMG 513 Phase 1 development to concentrate resources on the MariTide MARITIME Phase 3 program; and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) with danuglipron oral GLP-1 receptor agonist plus the Metsera acquisition pipeline. Amgen expects to apply for MariTide regulatory approval in late 2026 to early 2027. The Amgen MariTide Phase 3 program covers obesity (MARITIME-1) plus obesity and type 2 diabetes (MARITIME-2), with additional Phase 3 studies exploring cardiovascular disease, heart failure, kidney disease, and obstructive sleep apnea. The sorting of winners from losers based on Phase 3 results will begin in earnest starting next year as the field competes on efficacy, safety, delivery format, and price for market share behind Lilly's Zepbound-Mounjaro-Foundayo franchise and Novo's Wegovy-Ozempic franchise.

Clinical Trials · View digest

Structure Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GPCR) Anchored the Obesity Runner-Up Narrative With the Phase 2b ACCESS II Trial of Aleniglipron (Once-Daily Oral Small-Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonist) That Documented 16.3% Placebo-Adjusted Mean Weight Loss at the 180 mg Dose (39 lbs) and 16.0% Weight Loss at the 240 mg Dose (37 lbs) at 44 Weeks Positioning Aleniglipron as the Highest-Efficacy Oral GLP-1 Agonist Data Reported to Date; The Core Phase 2b ACCESS Study Had Documented 11.3% Weight Loss at 120 mg at 36 Weeks; ACCESS Open-Label Extension (OLE) Study Documented Continued Weight Loss From 36 Weeks Up to 16.2% (40.5 lbs) With 120 mg at 56 Weeks With No Observed Plateau; Tolerability Profile Consistent With the GLP-1 Class With Only 3.7% Adverse-Event-Related Treatment Discontinuation Across All Active Arms at 120 mg or Higher From Weeks 28 to 44; Phase 3 Initiation Expected in H2 2026

Structure Therapeutics (NASDAQ: GPCR) reported detailed Phase 2b ACCESS II trial results for aleniglipron (once-daily oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist for obesity). Key efficacy: 16.3% placebo-adjusted mean weight loss at the 180 mg dose (39 lbs) and 16.0% weight loss at the 240 mg dose (37 lbs) at 44 weeks. This positions aleniglipron as the highest-efficacy oral GLP-1 agonist data reported to date, above Eli Lilly's orforglipron (Foundayo, 7.5-11.2% at 72 weeks in ATTAIN-1) and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25/50 mg, roughly 15% at 68 weeks in OASIS 4). The core Phase 2b ACCESS study had documented 11.3% placebo-adjusted weight loss at 120 mg at 36 weeks. The ACCESS Open-Label Extension (OLE) study documented continued weight loss from 36 weeks up to 16.2% (40.5 lbs) with 120 mg at 56 weeks with no observed plateau, an important tolerability and durability signal. Tolerability profile is consistent with the GLP-1 receptor agonist class with only 3.7% adverse-event-related treatment discontinuation across all active arms in participants who reached 120 mg or higher from weeks 28 to 44. Phase 3 initiation is expected in H2 2026. Aleniglipron is a non-peptide small molecule that binds the GLP-1 receptor, similar to Lilly's orforglipron but distinct from the peptide-based semaglutide and tirzepatide; the small-molecule format provides manufacturing scalability advantages over peptide APIs.