Metabia, an affiliate of Dong-A ST, said April 13 it has begun dosing the first patient in Part 3 of its Phase 1 clinical trial for DA-1726, a dual-acting obesity treatment targeting GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, being conducted in the United States.
The Phase 1 Part 3 trial will enroll 40 healthy obese adults, divided into two high-dose cohorts of 20 participants each, and will run for 16 weeks. The study is designed to evaluate safety and optimize tolerability at high doses using one-step and two-step dose escalation strategies.
Participants will be randomly assigned to treatment and control groups at a 4:1 ratio. Part 3A evaluates a one-step escalation regimen, in which participants receive 16 milligrams for four weeks followed by 48 milligrams for 12 weeks. Part 3B assesses a two-step approach, with sequential dosing of 16 milligrams and 32 milligrams for four weeks each, followed by 64 milligrams for eight weeks.
The trial will comprehensively analyze safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic characteristics at high doses, as well as effects on metabolic indicators including body weight, waist circumference and body mass index.
Metabia aims to secure data from the Phase 1 Part 3 trial by the fourth quarter of 2026.
DA-1726 is a novel drug candidate in the oxyntomodulin analog class, designed to act on both GLP-1 and glucagon receptors to suppress appetite, promote insulin secretion and increase basal metabolic rate, ultimately inducing weight loss and improving blood glucose control.
In an earlier Phase 1 study, the drug demonstrated an average weight reduction of 9.1% (9.6 kilograms), a decrease in waist circumference of 3.9 inches, as well as improvements in fasting blood glucose and liver stiffness after eight weeks of treatment.
CEO Kim Hyung-heon said the initiation of patient dosing in Part 3 marks a significant step forward in the development of DA-1726.
“We will continue to validate the differentiated efficacy and potential of DA-1726 through this trial,” he said.