DAY ONE
7:00 am Check In & Coffee
7:55 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Examining Areas of Improvement in the Current Standard of Care to Unlock the Next Generation of Obesity Therapeutics
Synopsis
As a collective, we know the efficacy and rate of results is phenomenal, but can we do better? This theme gathers experts from across the field to dive into the areas where there is room for improvement, whether that be no nonresponders, duration of efficacy, reduced side effects or even improved fat mass to lean mass ratio.
8:00 am Panel & Audience Discussion: Challenging Standards & Driving Innovation in Obesity Therapeutics
Synopsis
This dynamic session merges critical evaluation of the current obesity treatment landscape with bold, forward-thinking discussions to redefine therapeutic goals and approaches.
- Benchmarking Current Therapies: Assessing therapeutic efficacy, gaps, and unmet patient needs to set new standards of care.
Innovative Debates: Examining provocative questions, including:
- Does muscle loss matter if fat-to-lean mass ratios improve?
- Are current efficacy targets sufficient, or should we aim higher?
- Should GI side effects of pharmacological hormone use raise significant concern?
8:30 am Leveraging Early-Stage Insights for Accurate Prediction of Efficacy Benchmarking in Preclinical Development to Build into the Development Pipeline
Synopsis
- Exploring modeling of appetite suppression vs. nausea and fat loss vs. muscle loss to accurately predict weight loss outcomes
- Investigating side effects and efficacy earlier in the development process to refine therapeutic strategies
- Utilizing AI and ML to develop combination therapeutics by searching trillions of protein interactions, automating the discovery and development pipeline for more effective treatments
9:00 am MRI-based Body Composition Reimagined: Building a New Foundation for Treatment Differentiation Beyond Weight Loss
Synopsis
- FDA-cleared MRI-based body composition analysis provides a new standard for muscle and fat quantification enabling translation from population studies and clinical trials all the way into healthcare
- Studies on Personalized Fat and Muscle Z-score biomarkers show improved prediction of outcomes and that weight- and BMI-invariant treatment effects can be detected
- Exploring the varying effects of the GLP-1 agonists liraglutide and tirzepatide on muscle and fat measurements in recent clinical trials
9:30 am Advancing Survodutide: Exploring the Dual Agonist’s Phase III Potential in Obesity Treatment
Synopsis
- Exploring the promising Phase II results of survodutide, which demonstrated up to 19% weight loss in individuals with overweight or obesity
- Gain insights into the design and objectives of the upcoming global Phase III studies, focusing on the efficacy and safety of survodutide in a broader population
- Explore the potential of survodutide’s dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonism to address unmet medical needs in obesity and its associated complications, potentially transforming the treatment landscape
10:00 am Speed Networking
Synopsis
Get ready for speed dating but for professionals! Capitalize on this opportunity to engage with a diverse spectrum of metabolic experts from across the industry, this is your chance to forge connections, exchange ideas, and build collaborative networks. Don’t miss this chance to expand your network and explore the synergies that arise from diverse perspectives from across the booming obesity market.
10:45 am Morning Break
Quality of Weight Loss Over Quantity of Weight Loss: Highlighting Novel Therapeutic Approaches with the Propensity to Mitigate Muscle Loss Side Effects in Weight Loss
Synopsis
Quality of weight loss is crucial, as preserving muscle mass boosts metabolic rate and supports long-term weight maintenance. Repeated weight loss cycles often lead to muscle loss, lowering metabolism and complicating future weight loss. Highlighting novel therapies that prevent muscle loss ensures healthier, more sustainable weight reduction, enhancing long-term health and quality of life.
11:00 am Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity in Weight Loss: Strategies for Preserving Muscle Mass in Obesity Treatment
Synopsis
- Explore innovative therapeutic approaches that focus on maintaining muscle mass during weight loss, with insights into Regeneron’s cutting-edge research on musclepreserving antibodies
- Understand the metabolic benefits of muscle preservation in obesity management, including the dual-targeting strategies used to block muscle degradation pathways
11:30 am Underneath the Lost Kilos: Imaging in Obesity & Metabolic Disease Drug Development
Synopsis
- Imaging methodologies (e.g. DXA, MRI) provide information about different aspects of body composition meeting different needs in clinical trials
- Body composition assessment of muscle and adipose tissue can be combined with measures of other end-organ effects for a deeper understanding of treatment responses
- MRI-based methods can also provide detailed insights into muscle composition including inter- and intramuscular fat (IMCL, EMCL), glycogen, sodium and functional readouts.
12:00 pm Looking Beyond Incretins with an Innovative IL-22 Therapy: A Novel Approach to Achieving Quality Weight Loss Without Muscle Loss
Synopsis
- Explore how CK-0045, a first-in-class IL-22 analogue being investigated in a Phase 2a study, offers a unique approach to obesity treatment through a novel non-incretin-based mode-of-action in the gut which preserves muscle mass during weight loss
- Understand the potential of CK-0045 to be used as a standalone therapy or in combination with current standard treatments, offering a broader spectrum of benefits that address both weight loss and deeper metabolic improvements
12:30 pm Enhanced Weight Loss and Metabolic Benefits from Combining THRβ and GLP-1R Agonism
Synopsis
- Exploring thyroid hormone receptor-beta (THRβ) agonist in combination with GLP-1R
- Examining the prevention of the metabolic adaptation that typically reduces energy expenditure during weight loss, resulting in greater overall weight loss and preservation of lean mass
- Detailing the preclinical findings that combination of TERN-501 plus GLP-1R agonism led to greater weight loss and increased fat mass reduction compared to GLP-1R agonism alone, highlighting its potential as a synergistic partner for muscle-preserving weight reduction therapies
1:00 pm Lunch Break
Delving into Durability: Exploring Innovative Approaches in Obesity Therapeutic Development to Sustain & Maintain Weight Loss
Synopsis
Ensuring long-term efficacy in obesity treatments remains a significant challenge, as many patients experience weight regain after initial success. This theme explores strategies that enhance the durability of therapeutic effects, ensuring sustained weight loss and improved patient outcomes. From combination therapies to genetic targeting ultimately elevating the standard of care in obesity management.
2:00 pm Leveraging Gene Therapy to Target Obesity at the Cause & Induce Long Lasting Effects on Weight Loss
Synopsis
- Introduction to gene therapy approaches that target and reset the body’s weight set point for durable, long-lasting weight loss effects
- Targeting pancreatic islet cells to enhance glucose-stimulated insulin secretion via GLP- 1 receptor pathways, promoting effective and sustained weight loss
- Exploring the latest data on the efficacy of gene therapy in reducing body weight and improving metabolic outcomes, demonstrating its potential as a transformative obesity treatment
2:30 pm What You Can & Cannot Get From Diet-Induced Obese Rodent Models in Obesity Therapeutics Development?
Synopsis
- Utility and limits of the widely used diet-induced obese mouse model
- What about the diet-induced obese rat model?
- The free choice diet-induced hamster, a new model to demonstrate therapies potential for patients: weight loss, food preference, alcohol intake, dyslipidemia, MASH and HFpEF
Target Product Profile: Exploring Innovation in Drug Profiles from Alternative Administration Routes to Novel Modalities
Synopsis
The production of peptide-based obesity therapeutics is often fraught with inefficiencies, from high costs to complex manufacturing processes. This theme delves into innovative solutions that streamline peptide production and explores alternative modalities that bypass these challenges altogether. By investigating new small molecules, oral agents, and RNA-based therapies, we aim to identify more efficient and cost-effective pathways to obesity treatment, enhancing accessibility and scalability of next-generation therapeutics.
2:40 pm Panel Discussion: The Obesity Race on the Manufacturing Floor – Exploring Supply Challenges with Innovations in Discovery
Synopsis
- Examining supply chain challenges associated with peptides, including raw material shortages and complex manufacturing processes, and how these impact the availability of GLP-1 drugs compared to other therapeutic classes
- Analyzing the disparity between the rapidly increasing demand for GLP-1 receptor agonists and the current manufacturing capacity, highlighting how this affects market supply and patient access
- Explore innovative solutions to address these supply challenges, such as novel modalities without the need for peptide production
3:00 pm Human 3D Tissue Models for Disease Modeling & Functional Efficacy
Synopsis
- Advantages of human 3D tissue models
- Biomarkers aren’t enough anymore: enter clinically translational functional assays
- Insulin sensitive vs. insensitive human muscle platform for longitudinal therapeutics R&D
3:30 pm Afternoon Break – Poster Session:
Synopsis
Connect with your peers in a relaxed atmosphere and continue to forge new and existing relationships whilst exploring the latest obesity therapeutic development and research advancements.
4:00 pm Mitigating the Need for Peptide Production with Small Molecule GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: Balancing Pharmacokinetics with Efficacy
Synopsis
- Exploring the benefits of small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonists over injectable peptide-based therapeutics
- Navigating differential efficacy and safety profiles compared to peptide-based therapeutics from biological stability to receptor selectivity
- Exploring the differential pharmacokinetic profile and key considerations for development
4:30 pm Semaglutide-Induced Loss of Muscle Mass… and Function?
Synopsis
- Impact of Semaglutide on body weight and composition in DIO mice
- Impact of Semaglutide on muscle function and properties in DIO mice
4:40 pm Advancing Chronic Disease Management with Ultra Long-Acting Miniature Subdermal Implants of GLP-1
Synopsis
- Exploring the NanoPortal™ implant technology, emphasizing its design for consistent drug delivery
- Insights on NPM-115 and NPM-119 and the LIBERATE-1 study evaluating the efficacy of the six-month exenatide implants for obesity and type 2 diabetes
- Exploration of the potential impact of ultra-long-acting implants on chronic disease management and advancements in alternative drug delivery methods
5:10 pm MyoscreenTM: Leading the Discovery of Innovative Skeletal Muscle- Targeting Drugs for Healthy Weight Loss
5:20 pm Patient Centric Development: Exploring Oral Obesity Therapeutics to Move Away from Injectable Peptides
Synopsis
- Explore enabling the development of oral obesity therapeutics that achieve bioavailability and efficacy comparable to injectable peptides
- Analyze the underlying mechanisms by which oral therapeutics modulate metabolic pathways and appetite suppression to induce weight loss, highlighting recent innovations in drug delivery systems
- Explore data comparing the efficacy, safety, and patient adherence of oral obesity therapeutics versus traditional injectable treatments, emphasizing the potential for improved patient outcomes
5:50 pm Drinks Reception
Synopsis
Join us for a relaxed drinks reception at the Obesity Summit, where you’ll have the perfect opportunity to network with industry leaders, exchange ideas with peers, and foster valuable connections in an informal and
engaging setting.