Ascletis Announces First Participants Dosed in a U.S. Clinical Study Combining Adipose-Targeted, Once-Monthly Injectable Small Molecule THRβ Agonist, ASC47, and Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity

Core Insights - Ascletis Pharma Inc. is conducting a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (ASC47-103) to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of ASC47 in combination with semaglutide for obesity treatment [3][6] - ASC47 is an adipose-targeted, ultra-long-acting small molecule agonist with a half-life of up to 40 days, showing promising results in preclinical studies [4][6] - The combination of low-dose ASC47 and semaglutide resulted in a 56.7% greater reduction in body weight with muscle preservation compared to semaglutide alone in a mouse model [2][4] Study Design - The ASC47-103 study includes three cohorts receiving single ascending doses of ASC47 (10 mg, 30 mg, and 60 mg) or placebo, along with four doses of semaglutide (0.5 mg, once weekly) [3][6] - Topline data from the ASC47-103 study are anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2025 [5] Company Overview - Ascletis Pharma Inc. is a biotech company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, focusing on metabolic diseases and addressing unmet medical needs globally [7]