Nature partner feature profiles metabolic disease research by Innogen and Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital

The feature ‘Integrating molecular insights to advance metabolic research’, prepared for Nature, recently went online. It presents research and new investigations at Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital in metabolic diseases. Innogen’s account also highlights its collaboration with leading clinical institutions to advance metabolic research and translate findings into clinical practice.

Several teams at Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital have reported advances in basic research on metabolic diseases and their complications. Deputy Director Cheng Hu’s team identified the immune regulator GPSM1 as a key control point in atherosclerosis, regulating immune-cell infiltration and activation in vessel walls during plaque formation and suggesting a new target for cardiometabolic complications. A randomised trial led by researcher Huating Li found that daily supplementation with 40 g of resistant starch enriched Bifidobacterium adolescentis. Professor Jian Zhou’s team, a Chinese leader in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), used a multicentre intensive-care cohort to show that time spent above a glucose concentration of 10.5 mmol/L was closely associated with in-hospital mortality. The finding extends conventional assessment and informs more detailed, individualised glucose management in critically ill patients.

Building on this research, Innogen and professors at Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital have collaborated clinically to develop and apply efsubaglutide alfa. The company describes the human-derived ultra-long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist’s clinical data as supporting differentiated therapeutic value. In SUPER 2, adults with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin who received added efsubaglutide alfa 3 mg had an HbA1c reduction of 1.8 percentage points from baseline, and 58% achieved HbA1c below 7.0%. The medicine is approved for type 2 diabetes in the Chinese mainland and Macao and has entered the National Reimbursement Drug List. The article reports that this reduces treatment costs and broadens access.

The company also highlights results in overweight and obesity. In Phase IIb ENLIGHT, participants receiving 20 mg for 18 weeks had weight reductions of 10.58% with weekly dosing and 9.70% with dosing every two weeks. The article reports that lost weight was mainly fat rather than muscle, and that liver fat declined by up to approximately 52% in selected study groups. The article interprets these findings as supporting further research into reducing fat, preserving muscle and improving abnormal fat accumulation, with the aim of protecting health alongside weight loss. Phase III obesity research was ongoing to add evidence and advance this investigational therapy.

Professor Jian Zhou said basic research and clinical application should develop together and inform one another. With attention to emerging research and practical clinical needs, Innogen continues to connect molecular research with clinical translation. The company is building its metabolic disease capabilities around efsubaglutide alfa, with the aim of supporting more precise and effective diagnosis and treatment internationally.

Note: Efsubaglutide alfa’s currently approved indication is type 2 diabetes. Obesity and weight-loss indications remain under clinical investigation and have not received marketing approval. This content communicates company research developments and industry information; it is not a pharmaceutical advertisement, treatment recommendation or promise of efficacy. Prescription medicines should be purchased with a physician’s prescription and used under medical supervision.

Sources

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/d42473-026-00161-x

2. Jia W, Gao F, Lu J, et al. Efsubaglutide alfa added to metformin improves glycaemia with β-cell functional responses in type 2 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-stage adaptive phase 2b/3 trial (SUPER 2). Nat Commun. 2026 May 8. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-72574-7.

3. Yuqian Bao, Fei Gao, Zhenhua Li, et al. 2636-P: Efsubaglutide Alfa in Overweight or Obesity: Phase 2b ENLIGHT Study. Diabetes. 1 June 2026;75(Supplement_1):2636-P.

About Innogen

Founded in 2014, Innogen (HK.2591) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercialising innovative medicines for metabolic diseases. Its internally developed pipeline covers indications including type 1 diabetes (T1D), obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with international intellectual-property rights and a global patent strategy. Its core product, efsubaglutide alfa, is an internally developed, next-generation human-derived ultra-long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes in the Chinese mainland and Macao, China. It is included in the National Basic Medical Insurance, Maternity Insurance and Work Injury Insurance Drug List (2025). The product has entered international development and registration, with the aim of providing better treatment options to patients worldwide. For more information, visit www.innogenpharm.com.