Core Viewpoint - Veru Inc. has received regulatory clarity from the FDA regarding enobosarm, a selective androgen receptor modulator, as a muscle preservation drug candidate in combination with GLP-1 RA for obesity treatment, allowing incremental weight loss as an acceptable primary endpoint for approval [2][3][5]. Company Overview - Veru Inc. is a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for cardiometabolic and inflammatory diseases, with enobosarm and sabizabulin as key drug candidates [9]. FDA Meeting Highlights - The FDA has indicated that incremental weight loss with enobosarm added to GLP-1 RA treatment is an acceptable primary endpoint for approval [2]. - Enobosarm 3mg has been confirmed as an acceptable dosage for future clinical development [2]. - The FDA has encouraged the expansion of the enobosarm development program to include younger populations with obesity [2]. Clinical Development Program - The Phase 2b PLATEAU clinical study will evaluate the effect of enobosarm 3mg on total body weight, physical function, and safety in approximately 180 older and younger patients initiating tirzepatide treatment for weight reduction [6][8]. - The primary efficacy endpoint is the percent change from baseline in total body weight at 72 weeks, with key secondary endpoints including total fat mass, total lean mass, and physical function [7]. Phase 2b QUALITY Study Insights - The Phase 2b QUALITY study demonstrated that enobosarm treatment preserved lean mass and improved physical function while leading to greater fat loss during the 16-week active weight loss period [3][10]. - Enobosarm monotherapy was able to prevent weight regain by 46% after discontinuation of semaglutide, resulting in greater fat loss compared to the placebo group [3]. Weight Loss Plateau Context - The weight loss plateau occurs when patients on GLP-1 RA stop losing weight; approximately 88% of patients in the SURMOUNT-1 study reached this plateau by 72 weeks [4]. - Combining tirzepatide with enobosarm is expected to lead to additional fat loss by preserving muscle and physical function, particularly in older patients [4].

Company Overview - Veru Inc. is a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for cardiometabolic and inflammatory diseases [2] - The company's drug development program includes two late-stage novel small molecules: enobosarm and sabizabulin [2] Enobosarm Obesity Program - Enobosarm is being developed as a next-generation drug to enhance fat loss while preserving lean mass, particularly in older patients receiving semaglutide for chronic weight management [3][4] - The Phase 2b QUALITY clinical study showed positive topline and safety results, with participants losing an average of 11.88 lbs during the active weight loss period [4] - After discontinuation of semaglutide, the placebo group regained 43% of lost body weight, while the enobosarm 3mg and 6mg groups regained only 1.41% (2.73 lbs) and 2.87% (5.29 lbs) respectively, demonstrating a significant reduction in weight regain [4][5] - Enobosarm monotherapy preserved more than 100% of lean mass compared to the placebo group, which experienced a loss of lean mass [5][6] Sabizabulin Atherosclerosis Inflammation Program - Sabizabulin is being explored for the treatment of inflammation in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, addressing a significant unmet medical need [8][9] - The drug has shown broad anti-inflammatory activity in previous clinical studies, with a safety database consisting of 266 dosed patients [8][9] - The company believes that combining sabizabulin with statin therapy could effectively reduce inflammation and slow the progression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease [8][9] Upcoming Events - Veru Inc. will participate in one-on-one meetings and a fireside chat presentation with investors at the 2025 BTIG Virtual Biotech Conference on July 29-30, 2025 [1]

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Core Insights - The Phase 2b QUALITY clinical study demonstrated that the combination of enobosarm and semaglutide has a positive safety profile, with fewer gastrointestinal side effects compared to semaglutide alone [1][3][4] - Enobosarm 3mg has been selected as the proposed oral dose for the upcoming Phase 3 clinical program based on the efficacy and safety data from the Phase 2b trial [1][8] - The combination treatment resulted in a highly selective loss of fat mass, with 99% of total weight lost attributed to fat, while preserving lean mass [1][14] Safety Profile - The Phase 2b QUALITY clinical trial showed no increases in gastrointestinal side effects or drug-induced liver injury compared to placebo [3][4] - Adverse events related to gastrointestinal issues were lower in the enobosarm + semaglutide group compared to the placebo + semaglutide group [4][6] - No serious adverse events related to treatment were observed, and all reported adverse events were mild and returned to baseline levels [3][4][6] Efficacy Results - The trial met its primary endpoint with a statistically significant reduction in lean mass loss, showing a 71% relative reduction in lean mass loss for enobosarm + semaglutide compared to placebo + semaglutide [9][14] - Enobosarm 3mg + semaglutide showed a 99.1% mean relative reduction in lean mass loss, while the 6mg dose did not provide additional benefits [9][11] - The treatment also demonstrated a significant reduction in the percentage of patients experiencing a decline in stair climb power, indicating improved physical function [17] Regulatory Steps - Following the positive results from the Phase 2b study, the company has requested an End of Phase 2 meeting with the FDA to discuss the Phase 3 clinical program [1][16] - The proposed Phase 3 study will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial focusing on older patients with obesity or overweight, assessing the effects of enobosarm on physical function and body composition [19][20] Future Developments - The company is developing a novel modified release oral formulation of enobosarm, expected to enter Phase 1 bioavailability clinical trials in early 2025 [21] - The new formulation aims to be available for Phase 3 clinical studies and commercialization, with patent protection anticipated until 2045 [21]

Company Overview - Veru Inc. is a late clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative medicines for cardiometabolic and inflammatory diseases [3] - The company's drug development program includes two late-stage novel small molecules: enobosarm and sabizabulin [3] Enobosarm Program - Enobosarm is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing weight reduction by making GLP-1 RA drugs more tissue selective for fat loss while preserving lean mass [3] - The Phase 2b QUALITY clinical trial demonstrated a 71% relative reduction in lean mass loss for patients receiving enobosarm + semaglutide compared to placebo + semaglutide at 16 weeks (p=0.002) [5] - The enobosarm 3mg + semaglutide group showed a >99% mean relative reduction in loss of lean mass (p <0.001) [5] - Enobosarm + semaglutide resulted in a 46% greater relative loss of fat mass compared to placebo + semaglutide at 16 weeks (p=0.014) [6] - The median total body weight loss in the placebo + semaglutide group was 32% lean mass and 68% fat loss, while in the enobosarm + semaglutide group, it was 9.4% lean mass and 90.6% fat loss, indicating a 33.2% greater fat loss [6] - The study also found that 42.6% of patients on placebo + semaglutide experienced a ≥10% decline in stair climb power, while the enobosarm + semaglutide group had a 54.4% mean relative reduction in this decline (p=0.0049) [8] Sabizabulin Program - Sabizabulin is being explored for the treatment of inflammation in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, addressing a significant unmet medical need [11][14] - The drug has shown broad anti-inflammatory activity in previous studies, including Phase 2 and 3 pulmonary inflammation COVID-19 clinical studies [13] - The company plans to submit a new IND for sabizabulin in atherosclerotic coronary artery disease by the first half of calendar 2026 [14]