First participant enrolled in the adolescent obesity Phase Ib study of efsubaglutide alfa

Shanghai, China, 29 July 2026 — Innogen (HK.02591), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercialising innovative medicines for metabolic diseases, announced enrolment of the first participant in its Chinese Phase Ib trial of efsubaglutide alfa for adolescent obesity. Efsubaglutide alfa is the company’s internally developed human-derived ultra-long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist. The milestone advances its obesity pipeline and broadens clinical development across adult and adolescent populations, adding evidence for future international development and indication expansion.

Childhood and adolescent obesity is a worldwide public-health challenge, with prevalence continuing to rise in China. The Report on Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020) reported overweight and obesity rates of 11.1% and 7.9%, respectively, among those aged 6–17, with a trend toward obesity at younger ages.¹ Adolescent obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, polycystic ovary syndrome and other metabolic diseases, as well as higher risks of depression, low self-esteem and social difficulties. Clinical research indicates that approximately 40–80% of childhood obesity persists into adulthood, substantially increasing later cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease risk.²˒³ China has made adolescent obesity prevention and control a public-health priority through policies including Healthy China 2030 and the Healthy Children Action Improvement Plan (2021–2025).

At the time of this announcement, the company reported that no weight-loss medicine had been approved in China for children or adolescents. Adolescence is a critical growth period with demanding safety requirements. For adolescents with obesity who have not responded to prolonged lifestyle intervention and do not wish to undergo bariatric surgery, there is a need for effective, safe medicines. This Phase Ib trial will primarily assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The company describes efsubaglutide alfa’s humanised design as having the potential for lower immunogenicity than other GLP-1 medicines and hopes it may address unmet need with a safe and effective treatment option.

Efsubaglutide alfa is already approved for adult type 2 diabetes in the Chinese mainland and Macao. In the Chinese Phase IIb ENLIGHT study of adults with overweight or obesity, 20 mg once weekly for 18 weeks, including six weeks of titration and 12 weeks at target dose, produced average weight loss of 10.6% and a waist reduction of approximately 8.9 cm. The 20 mg every-two-weeks group had average weight loss of 9.7%; improvements were also observed in total body fat, liver fat and muscle-to-fat ratio. A Phase II trial in Australia is investigating adult overweight and obesity, including a once-every-four-weeks regimen, to build further evidence.

Professor Qinghua Wang, Innogen’s founder, Chairman and CEO, said adolescent obesity is a health challenge with effects throughout life and that early, evidence-based intervention matters for reducing adult diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other metabolic risks. First-participant enrolment marks progress in efsubaglutide alfa’s adolescent program and extends the company’s development work across adult diabetes, adult obesity and adolescent obesity. He said the company would continue international clinical development and registration, exploring the product’s clinical value in metabolic diseases and aiming to offer more innovative options to people of different ages worldwide.

References

[1] Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, National Health Commission. Report on Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020). Beijing: People’s Medical Publishing House, 2021.

[2] Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China. Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Overweight and Obesity in Chinese School-Age Children and Adolescents (Trial). Beijing: People’s Medical Publishing House, 2008: 7–9.

[3] Small L, Aplasca A. Child obesity and mental health: a complex interaction. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2016;25(2):269–282. DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2015.11.008.

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.

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.