Asia Next-generation obesity drugs
Next-generation obesity drugs: adding amylin, GIP or glucagon to GLP-1, or moving to oral and once-monthly dosing.
8Tracked assets
0Approved
How this track works
First-generation GLP-1 injections proved how large the obesity market is. The next race is about losing more weight, losing less muscle and making treatment easier. There are three main directions: adding amylin, GIP or glucagon receptor activity for dual- or triple-acting drugs; turning peptides into oral small molecules; and stretching dosing from weekly to monthly. Several Chinese candidates have already been licensed to big pharma, making this one of the tracks with the highest upfront payments today.
Development stage
Phase 32 2
Phase 23 3
Phase 13 3
Origin country / region
China7 7
South Korea1 1
Assets
| Rank | Asset | INN | Originator | Country | Targets | Mechanism | Highest stage | Indication | Trial IDs | Overseas rights holder | Deal date | Upfront | Total ceiling | Latest event | Latest event date | Sources | Source date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VCT220 / CX11 | — | Vincentage Pharma Co., Ltd. (Chengdu Vincentage) | China | GLP-1 receptor | Once-daily oral non-peptide small-molecule GLP-1R agonist | Phase 3 — China (2024-12) | Obesity/overweight; type 2 diabetes | NCT06939296 | NCT07011797 | Corxel Pharmaceuticals (worldwide excluding Greater China) | 2024-12-23 | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | China pivotal Phase 3 registry updated; completed | 2026-09-16 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 2026-09-16 |
| 2 | RAY1225 | — | Guangdong Raynovent Biotech Co., Ltd. (Zhongsheng subsidiary) | China | GLP-1 receptor; GIP receptor | Long-acting dual GLP-1R / GIPR peptide agonist | Phase 3 — China (2025-06) | Obesity/overweight; type 2 diabetes | NCT06893016 | NCT06254274 | Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Greater China) | 2026-01-16 (Greater China only) | RMB 200m (Greater China only) | RMB 1000m (including upfront; Greater China only) | Type 2 diabetes Phase 2 registry updated; completed | 2026-10-26 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 2026-10-26 |
| 3 | HEC88473 / APL-18881 | — | Sunshine Lake Pharma Co., Ltd. | China | GLP-1 receptor; FGF21 receptor pathway | Long-acting GLP-1 / FGF21 dual-target fusion protein | Phase 2 — China (2023-12) | Type 2 diabetes; obesity development; polycystic ovary syndrome study | NCT06148649 | NCT07616037 | Apollo Therapeutics (outside China; China rights retained by Sunshine Lake) | 2024-11-12 | USD 12m | USD 938m (USD 12m upfront + up to USD 926m milestones) | Investigator-initiated Phase 2 PCOS trial registry updated; recruiting | 2026-05-29 | 1 2 3 4 | 2026-05-29 |
| 4 | SAL0112 | — | Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. | China | GLP-1 receptor | Oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist | Phase 2 — China (confirmed 2024-10; T2DM) | Type 2 diabetes (Phase 2); obesity (Phase 1b completed) | CTR20242666 | None reported | — | — | — | Salubris interim report retains SAL0112 in its diabetes/obesity pipeline | 2026-08-25 | 1 2 3 4 | 2026-08-25 |
| 5 | SYH2069 | — | CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (CSPC Ouyi Pharmaceutical) | China | GLP-1 receptor; GIP receptor | Long-acting fatty acid-modified dual-biased GLP-1R / GIPR peptide agonist | Phase 2 — China (registered 2026-09; not yet recruiting) | Obesity/overweight; type 2 diabetes | NCT07803991 | NCT07796477 | None reported | — | — | — | Obesity Phase 2 registry first posted; not yet recruiting | 2026-09-04 | 1 2 3 4 | 2026-09-04 |
| 6 | HM17321 (LA-UCN2) | — | Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. | South Korea | Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 2 (CRFR2) | Long-acting urocortin-2 analogue; non-incretin CRFR2 agonist | Phase 1 — United States (2025-11) | Obesity; body-composition and lean-mass-preservation development | NCT07219589 | Genentech / Roche (worldwide excluding South Korea) | 2026-08-24 | USD 190m | Up to USD 2300m (including upfront; plus tiered royalties) | Hanmi announces Genentech licence excluding South Korea | 2026-08-24 | 1 2 | 2026-08-24 |
| 7 | JMT206 | — | CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (Shanghai JMT-Bio Inc.) | China | Activin receptor type IIA; activin receptor type IIB | Recombinant fully human anti-ActRIIA / ActRIIB monoclonal antibody | Phase 1 — China (2026-01) | Obesity/overweight; muscle-building and fat-reduction development | NCT07419698 | NCT07840729 | None reported | — | — | — | Obesity multiple-dose Phase 1 registry updated; recruiting | 2026-11-02 | 1 2 3 4 | 2026-11-02 |
| 8 | SYH2092 | — | CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (CSPC Jushi Biopharmaceutical) | China | Amylin receptor | Long-acting fatty acid-modified amylin receptor agonist | Phase 1 — China (registered 2026-08; not yet recruiting) | Obesity/overweight development; healthy-participant first-in-human trial | NCT07776041 | None reported | — | — | — | Company announces China first Phase 1 centre initiated; recruitment and screening underway | 2026-08-31 | 1 2 3 | 2026-08-31 |