While the global pharmaceutical market focuses on developing GLP‑1 drugs for weight loss, British pharma giant GSK is avoiding direct participation in the race, instead targeting cardiometabolic diseases associated with obesity. The company has signed a licensing agreement with China’s SiranBio worth up to $1 billion, gaining rights outside China to the experimental oligonucleotide SA030. Experts believe the drug could help reduce abdominal fat and lower cardiometabolic risks without muscle loss.
Under the deal, GSK will pay SiranBio $55 million upfront and up to $1 billion in milestone payments and tiered royalties if the drug reaches the market. SiranBio has already advanced the oligonucleotide into a Phase I trial to evaluate tolerability and pharmacokinetics in overweight or obese patients. The Chinese company noted that preclinical studies showed a long‑acting profile for SA030, targeted delivery to fat cells and a infrequent dosing regimen.
SA030 targets the protein activin receptor‑like kinase 7 (ALK7), a transmembrane protein belonging to the transforming growth factor‑beta receptor family. Unlike existing weight‑loss drugs, this compound works through a different mechanism, opening up the possibility of combining it with GLP‑1 drugs for weight loss and diabetes.
Other market players are also showing interest in ALK7 as a novel target for obesity therapy. US biopharmaceutical company Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is exploring the possibility of suppressing production of this protein using RNA interference to treat obesity. This is boosting industry interest in an approach that could potentially reduce visceral fat, improve insulin sensitivity and lower obesity‑associated inflammation.
Thus, GSK is building its portfolio around oligonucleotide technologies, betting on long‑term cardiometabolic outcomes rather than immediate weight‑loss success. The company’s oligonucleotide pipeline is currently led by bepirovirsen, a joint project with Ionis Pharmaceuticals, which is already being tested as a potential “functional cure” for hepatitis B virus infection. GSK is also collaborating with Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals on fatty liver disease.
Reuters previously reported that widespread use of GLP‑1 drugs has created an unexpected market effect. Patients are actively seeking ways to prevent muscle loss associated with rapid weight loss. According to StoneX, the price of WPC 80 whey protein concentrate has risen nearly 90% over the past year to €20,000 per tonne.
Online retailer iHerb, for its part, noted an increase in search queries containing the word “GLP‑1” as shoppers look for supplements to prevent muscle loss. “Customers are starting to seriously look for ways to combat the side effects of GLP‑1s,” said Hye‑Yeon Moon, iHerb’s chief revenue officer.
However, a review in Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice published last year found that GLP‑1 receptor agonist therapy can lead to significant muscle loss. A meta‑analysis of 22 studies showed that muscle tissue accounts for about 25% of total weight loss, creating a risk of developing sarcopenia or sarcopenic obesity.
At the same time, the authors noted that a pharmacovigilance study found no statistically significant link between these drugs and sarcopenia, while preclinical experiments suggest a possible protective effect on muscle.