Why Aardvark Therapeutics (AARD) Paused Late-Stage ARD-101 Trials After Cardiac Findings

Core Insights - Aardvark Therapeutics has paused its Phase 3 HERO and open-label extension trials for ARD-101 in Prader-Willi syndrome and the ARD-201 obesity program due to cardiac findings from a separate study [1][2][7] - The company plans to provide further guidance on these programs in the second quarter of 2026 [1] Group 1: Trial Updates - The pause in trials was prompted by cardiac findings from a healthy volunteer study, not from previous Prader-Willi syndrome trials [2] - In a cohort of eight participants dosed at 1,600 mg twice daily, two showed QRS increases greater than 25% from baseline, while another had a smaller increase [2] - A follow-on cohort dosed at 800 mg twice daily for up to one week had one of 23 participants with a transient QRS increase of less than 25%, and another with an increase greater than 25% [2] Group 2: Financial Position - Aardvark ended 2025 with $110.0 million in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments, which is expected to fund operations into the second quarter of 2027 [3] Group 3: Company Overview - Aardvark Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small-molecule therapies aimed at suppressing hunger in Prader-Willi syndrome and metabolic diseases [4]