Metsera spends $290 million to develop next-generation weight loss products

Next-generation weight loss drug developer Metsera just Start-up capital is US$290 million. Backed by Population Health Partners and ARCH Venture Partners, and led by former executives from The Medicines Company, Metsera has a broad portfolio of oral and injectable incretins, non-incretins, and combination therapies designed to address multiple targets product portfolio.

Clive Meanwell, CEO of the new company, said that over the past two years, Metsera’s goal has been to stay ahead of the innovation curve in one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the history of biopharmaceuticals.

Since the launch of GLP-1 agonists (such as Ozempic, Wegovy), the weight loss market has boomed, with high prices, long use times, and huge profits. GLP-1 is a class of drugs that send satiety signals to the brain and regulate blood sugar so people taking them know when to stop eating.

In 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 years and older) will be overweight. Of these, 890 million people are obese. Morgan Stanley Research predicts that the obesity drug market will reach $77 billion by 2030.

We have assembled a line of long-acting injectable and oral formulations to address multiple next-generation weight loss goals. “With a proven team of world experts across multiple functions of the company, leading healthcare investors and proprietary health technology tools, we are well-positioned to rapidly advance our clinical-stage pipeline and serve patients,” said Meanwell. , health systems and investors to create value.

Metsera’s $290 million funding includes participation from other leading healthcare investors, including F-Prime Capital, GV, Mubadala Capital, Newpath Partners, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and other undisclosed investors.

“We are in the early stages of an incredibly exciting new era of innovation in the field of weight loss and obesity-related diseases,” said Kristina Burow, Metsera board member and managing director of ARCH Venture Partners. Metseras’ product portfolio is focused beyond current generation market leaders to address the full range of future weight loss treatment needs, including effective weight maintenance, muscle sparing, lower dosing frequency and improved efficacy, tolerability and Patient accessibility.

The Metseras product portfolio is derived from the company’s proprietary library of over 20,000 gut hormone peptides and peptide/antibody conjugates. The development plan includes parallel strategies focused on multiple next-generation targets and combinations. These include:

• GLP-1 Portfolio: Led by injectable, fully biased GLP-1 receptor agonists in Phase I clinical trials with potentially class-leading duration of action
• A dual amylin/calcitonin receptor agonist (DACRA) with class-leading duration of action in combination with a GLP-1 receptor agonist
• Single-molecule GGG (GLP-1, GIP, Glucagon) engineered to have class-leading duration of effect and combined with DACRA
• Oral peptide delivery platform including two IND-ready drug candidates with potential first-in-class bioavailability and multiple first-in-class oral follow-on drug candidates
• A range of other early planning and delivery methods

Sir Stephen R. Bloom, senior vice president of research and development and head of drug development and metabolism at Metsera, said that Metsera’s product portfolio is designed to unlock new treatment strategies through scalable, sustainable and personalized interventions for weight loss, weight maintenance and disease prevention. . Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London.

He added that through an optimized combination of injectable and oral peptides, we aim to establish a cycle of continuous and responsive innovation to address the growing global obesity crisis.