Altimmune: GLP-1/Glucagon Receptor Agonist Pemvidutide Preserves Lean Mass During Weight Loss
- Patients on pemvidutide experienced only 21.9% of weight loss attributable to lean mass.
- Pemvidutide preserves muscle tissue and prioritizes fat loss better than current incretin weight loss drugs.
The Latest
Phase 2 of the MOMENTUM clinical trial tested pemvidutide in patients with obesity over 48 weeks. The trial enrolled 391 participants who were obese or overweight with at least one co-morbidity but without diabetes. The study participants were randomized equally into 4 groups and given 1.2 mg, 1.8mg, or 2.4 mg of pemvidutide or placebo weekly in conjunction with diet and exercise. At week 48, participants who received pemvidutide achieved a mean weight loss of 10.3%, 11.2%, 15.6%, and 2.2% at the 1.2 mg, 1.8 mg, and 2.4 mg doses and placebo, respectively. Additionally, a subgroup of 50 participants was evaluated for body composition analysis. The results showed that those treated with pemvidutide had an average weight loss of 21.9% attributable to lean mass and 78.1% of weight loss attributable to fat.
Physician’s Perspective
There are over 1 billion people worldwide with obesity which has shown to carry an economic burden of $705 billion in the United States alone. Obesity is linked with conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. With the tremendous burden of obesity, there is a need for treatment options that address obesity and its associated comorbidities. The pemvidutide trial demonstrated not only significant weight loss in patients but also unprecedented preservation of lean mass. Other similar incretin weight loss drugs have publicly reported a loss of as much as 40% of lean mass compared to only 21.9% for pemvidutide. Muscle tissue preservation is important in maintaining weight loss and enhancing physical function. As a result, this unique property of pemvidutide differentiates it from other available treatments for obesity.
Molecular Targets
Pemvidutide is a novel, peptide-based GLP-1/glucagon dual receptor agonist developed for the treatment of obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Normally, GLP-1 and glucagon work in the body to suppress appetite and increase energy expenditure, respectively. Glucagon also has direct effects on hepatic fat metabolism which can rapidly reduce levels of liver fat and serum lipids. Pemvidutide works by activating the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, thus artificially enhancing the effects of these molecules in the body.
Company History
Altimmune is a biopharmaceutical company in Gaithersburg, Maryland focused on developing innovative peptide-based therapeutics. Pemvidutide is the company’s first developed drug which has already been granted fast-track designation by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.
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