In This Article:
Fat Loss Augmentation + Lean Mass Increase
Hanmi Presents Three Breakthrough Findings on Novel Obesity Drugs at 2024 ObesityWeek
High Quality Obesity Management by Targeting the CRF2 Receptor: Enhanced Fat Loss with Lean Mass Increase
Improved Weight Loss and Muscle Preservation with HM15275 Combination Therapy
SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hanmi Pharm. Co., Ltd. has announced promising research results for its novel obesity treatment, HM17321. This groundbreaking drug not only augments fat loss but also significantly increases lean muscle mass, marking it as a potential game-changer in obesity management. HM17321 addresses a key limitation in current GLP-1-based therapies, which often lead to muscle loss as a side effect of significant weight reduction.
"HM17321 is the novel concept of obesity drug developed combining advanced artificial intelligence and structural modeling technology with Hanmi's innovative R&D expertise," said Dr. In Young Choi, Head of Hanmi's R&D Center. "It selectively reduces fat while increasing muscle, establishing a new paradigm for high quality obesity treatment. The drug shows significant promise as both monotherapy and combination therapy to improve weight loss potency and quality," he added. As a peptide-based therapy, HM17321 is anticipated to provide a more cost-effective alternative to antibody-based muscle-preserving drugs, such as myostatin-targeting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), while also demonstrating enhanced compatibility with incretin-based obesity treatments.
Hanmi unveiled its latest findings at 2024 ObesityWeek, an annual obesity-focused conference held in San Antonio, Texas, from November 3 to 6. Hanmi presented two preclinical studies in poster format, underscoring HM17321's double-action(fat loss and lean muscle gain) benefits and a development strategy that highlights both quantitative and qualitative improvements in weight loss.
Unlike conventional incretin-based drugs, HM17321 targets the CRF2 (Corticotropin-Releasing Factor 2) receptor to selectively reduce fat while enhancing muscle mass. This unique approach sets it apart from existing therapies. Current GLP-1-based obesity medications are effective in achieving 15-20% weight loss, but up to 40% of this loss can come from muscle, accompanied by a reduction in basal metabolic rate and a high risk of rapid weight regain (the "yo-yo" effect) after discontinuation.
Hanmi reported at the conference that, in animal models, HM17321 achieved weight loss levels comparable to semaglutide, a prominent GLP-1-based therapy, but with the added benefit of increased lean body and muscle mass. This capability makes HM17321 a first-in-class drug, providing a differentiated strategy to high quality weight management by focusing on both fat loss and muscle enhancement simultaneously.