NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals, the Nasdaq-listed biotech firm affiliated with South Korean drug maker DongA ST, announced Wednesday the company has completed patient enrollment for the first part of the phase 1 clinical trial for its antiobesity drug, dubbed DA-1726.

DA-1726, designed to induce weight loss and glycemic control by simultaneously affecting GLP-1 and the glucagon receptor, is a drug candidate for treating obesity developed as an oxyntomodulin analog.

In January, NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for the phase 1 clinical trial to assess the drug's safety and effectiveness.

The first single-dose study of the phase 1 clinical trial has been conducted on a total of 45 people, including obese patients. With the first administration starting this past April, the study results will come out in the third quarter of this year.

The second study with multiple doses also started in June with 36 people, with the results coming in the first quarter next year.

“We could move on to the part 2 global clinical trial earlier than expected as the part 1 process has been smooth. By carrying out a preclinical study, we also saw the possibility of DA-1726 becoming a best-in-class antiobesity drug over existing GLP-1 receptor agonists and other drugs under late-stage trials,” said Kim Hyung-heon, CEO of NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals.

The US-based company plans to progress to its third study in the second quarter of 2025, based on the results of the part 1 and part 2 studies. The part 3 clinical trial includes a 24-week parallel study of DA-1726 to examine body weight fluctuations and fat-to-muscle mass ratios.