Phase 2 is where peptide programs prove dose, target engagement, and proof-of-concept efficacy before committing to Phase 3 capital. Coverage on this site has tracked Phase 2 readouts and trial initiations across metabolic, oncology, and pulmonary indications.
Recent Phase 2 activity covered here: Boehringer Ingelheim's first-in-class triple GLP-1/GIP/NPY2 agonist BI 3034701 advancing to Phase 2 in mid-2026; Rein Therapeutics' LTI-03 Phase 2 RENEW trial with 8 patients enrolled in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Bicycle Therapeutics dosing the first patient in a Phase 2 nuzefatide pevedotin trial in recurrent pancreatic cancer (April 2026); and Biomea Fusion's icovamenib COVALENT-112 52-week Phase 2 type-1 diabetes data showing a 52% C-peptide AUC increase. Several Roche, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca obesity-pipeline assets sit in Phase 2 readouts due before year-end 2026.
Stories here cover Phase 2 readouts, dose-selection decisions, and the bridge to Phase 3. See #phase-3, #clinical-trials, and #dose-selection.
MBX Biosciences (Nasdaq: MBX) on June 12 reported full 12-week Phase 2 Avail data and one-year open-label extension results for once-weekly canvuparatide, a precision PTH peptide for chronic hypoparathyroidism. The trial hit its primary endpoint with a 63% responder rate versus 31% on placebo at 12 weeks; the OLE delivered a 79% responder rate at six months and 57% at one year. Patients showed normalized serum calcium, reduced urine calcium excretion, restored bone metabolism, and improved eGFR; 90% of OLE patients remained on study at one year with no new safety signals. A registrational Phase 3 in chronic hypoparathyroidism starts Q3 2026.
Genentech presented Phase 2 CT388-103 data for enicepatide, the once-weekly GLP-1/GIP dual agonist, at the Roche investor event Monday June 8. The 48-week study produced 22.5% placebo-adjusted weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, with 26% of participants losing more than 30% of body weight and almost 40% reaching at least 25%. Both enicepatide and petrelintide advance into Phase 3, and the planned Phase 2 multi-arm fixed-dose combination of the two starts mid-2026.
Novo Nordisk presented Phase 2 data for zenagamtide (formerly amycretin), its unimolecular GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist, at ADA 2026 in 262 adults with type 2 diabetes randomized across six subcutaneous doses (0.4 to 40 mg) versus placebo. The 40 mg arm cut HbA1c by 1.71 percentage points and reduced body weight by 14.6% at 36 weeks, with nearly 89% of patients reaching HbA1c below 7%. The study met its primary HbA1c endpoint across all doses; Novo plans Phase 3 in H2 2026 and hosted a same-day R&D investor event.
Sapience Therapeutics announced May 22 positive Phase 2 clinical and pharmacodynamic data update from its lucicebtide (ST101) trial in glioblastoma ahead of the ASCO 2026 Annual Meeting (May 29-June 2 Chicago). The Phase 2 Window-of-Opportunity study evaluates lucicebtide alone and in combination with standard-of-care chemoradiation, with dosing both before and after surgical resection. Nine patients were evaluable for analysis; the maturing data show durable progression-free and overall-survival improvements with a well-tolerated safety profile. Lucicebtide is a first-in-class peptide antagonist of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ) — a transcription factor that drives tumor aggressiveness, immune evasion, and stemness in glioblastoma. The 125-patient program across recurrent GBM monotherapy and newly diagnosed combination cohorts is the largest peptide-mechanism dataset in GBM to date. The Monday June 1 poster session details the efficacy, pharmacodynamics, and safety in newly-diagnosed patients.
Bicycle Therapeutics' formal post-ASCO 2026 press release Friday morning specified the headline Phase 2 numbers from yesterday's abstract release. In the Duravelo-2 combination cohort, the optimal zelenectide dose plus pembrolizumab 200 mg every three weeks produced 65% ORR (17/26 evaluable patients) regardless of confirmation, with 58% BICR-confirmed ORR (15/26) at the 27-week cutoff in previously untreated locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer. An additional confirmed BICR response observed after the cutoff would bring the rate to 62%. The trial tested two dose schedules: 5 mg/m² weekly and 6 mg/m² two-weeks-on-one-week-off; the optimal dose moves forward in the Phase 3 expansion. Treatment retention was high and dose-limiting adverse events limited. The 65% Phase 2 ORR matches the 65% Phase 1 Duravelo-1 ORR (13/20) — pharmacology consistency across two different patient populations, an unusual durability signal for a peptide-drug conjugate.
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.
Bicycle Therapeutics confirmed in its AACR 2026 update that the company began enrolling patients in a Phase 2 study of nuzefatide pevedotin (BT5528) in adults with recurrent pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in March 2026, with the first patient successfully dosed in April. The bicyclic peptide-drug conjugate targets EphA2-expressing tumor cells. Earlier Phase 1/2 data — through a February 9, 2026 cutoff — showed 40% confirmed ORR in EphA2+ urothelial cancer patients on nuzefatide 6.5 mg/m² plus nivolumab, rising to 100% confirmed ORR in MMAE-naïve EphA2+ patients (n=14). The company has identified 8 mg/m² Q2W as the preferred monotherapy dose. The PDAC trial extends Bicycle's footprint into a difficult tumor type where EphA2 imaging readouts at AACR 2026 reinforced target validation.
Rein Therapeutics announced April 29 a clinical update for its Phase 2 RENEW trial of LTI-03 — a peptide therapeutic for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). 8 patients have been enrolled to date, with 2 additional patients expected to be enrolled this week. Enrollment began March 2026 and continues steadily. LTI-03 is one of the few peptide candidates in the IPF space, where current standards of care (pirfenidone, nintedanib) have meaningful tolerability limits. The peptide-based approach is mechanistically distinct, targeting Caveolin-1-related fibrotic pathways.
Boehringer Ingelheim disclosed alongside the survodutide topline that BI 3034701, a first-in-class triple GLP-1/GIP/NPY2 receptor agonist peptide, will enter Phase 2 in mid-2026. The compound completed a randomized placebo-controlled Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers and people with overweight/obesity that demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability and encouraging weight loss. BI 3034701 was developed in collaboration with Gubra, with Boehringer responsible for further development and global commercialization. The novel NPY2 component targets satiety pathways complementary to incretin agonism — a meaningful mechanistic differentiation in the next-gen obesity pipeline.