(RTTNews) - Caliway Biopharmaceuticals (6919.TW) yesterday announced preclinical results evaluating its investigational drug CBL-514 in combination with Eli Lilly's dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist tirzepatide, during the 25th Annual Congress of the Taiwan Medical Association for the Study of Obesity (TMASO 2025).
Obesity remains a global health challenge, with incretin-based therapies such as GLP-1 agonists showing strong efficacy but often associated with weight rebound after discontinuation.
Researchers at TMASO emphasized the need for approaches that target fat distribution, visceral adiposity, and long-term metabolic risk.
The preclinical study, conducted in diet-induced obese rat models, compared tirzepatide monotherapy with the combination of tirzepatide plus CBL-514.
CBL-514 is a first-in-class small-molecule drug that selectively induces adipocyte apoptosis, reducing adipocyte number rather than size. Under study conditions, the combination group showed greater reductions in body weight and fat mass compared to tirzepatide alone, and significantly less weight regain following treatment withdrawal.
Investigators reported that the combination achieved a 21.8 percent reduction in body weight versus 14.5 percent with monotherapy, alongside marked decreases in both subcutaneous and visceral fat.
Mechanistic analysis indicated that CBL-514 acts through pathways such as DYRK1B to enhance pro-apoptotic activity in adipocytes, complementing the appetite-modulating effects of incretin therapies. Dr. Tzu-Jung Chou of National Taiwan University Hospital presented the findings, noting that further studies are needed to determine optimal sequencing, duration, and clinical relevance in humans.
CBL-514 has already completed 10 clinical trials in 520 subjects across indications including non-surgical fat reduction, cellulite, and weight management, all meeting efficacy and safety endpoints. A related formulation, CBL-514D, is under investigation for rare conditions such as Dercum's disease.
6919.TW closed yesterday's trading at TWD 157.50, down 1.56%. Over the past year the stock has traded between TWD 51.40 and TWD 277.00.
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