Antag lands €80m to advance GIPR antagonist approach discovered by researcher behind GLP-1 obesity drugs.
While BioAge’s decision to halt its trial of azelaprag is a disappointment, the obesity market remains a strong investment opportunity, as evidenced by Copenhagen-based biopharma Antag Therapeutics, which recently closed an €80 million Series A financing round to advance its lead obesity program into Phase 1 trials.
Antag is built on research from the University of Copenhagen, led by Professors Jens Juul Holst and Mette Rosenkilde, who identified an endogenous GIP receptor (GIPR) antagonist that has paved the way for the development of a new class of peptide-based therapies. The company is harnessing the therapeutic potential of GIPR antagonists to develop treatments for obesity and cardiometabolic disease.
Professor Holst is already world-renowned for his discovery of the GLP-1 hormone and the subsequent development of semaglutide, which transformed the fortunes of Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk through diabetes and weight loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. GIP and GLP-1 are both incretin hormones that amplify insulin secretion after eating, but they have different actions.
While GLP-1-based therapies have revolutionized obesity management, they are not universally effective. Issues such as tolerability, loss of muscle mass and insufficient weight reduction have led to a race to develop complementary treatments. Antag says its approach targets these gaps by antagonizing GIPR, a receptor with a clear genetic link to body weight regulation – individuals with naturally reduced GIPR activity tend to exhibit leaner phenotypes.
Antag’s lead candidate, AT-7687, is a once-weekly subcutaneous peptide injection designed to enhance weight loss and metabolic outcomes. Compared with antibody-based GIPR blockers conjugated to GLP-1 agonists (like Lilly’s tirzepatide, which recently outperformed semaglutide in a head-to-head trial) the company says that AT-7687 offers greater flexibility in administration and can be co-administered with existing therapies, such as GLP-1s, for superior efficacy and tolerability or used as a standalone agent for weight maintenance.
According to Antag, its preclinical studies in non-human primates have demonstrated “best-in-industry” weight loss outcomes, improved glycemic control and enhanced lipid profiles, without gastrointestinal side effects. The company says its Investigational New Drug (IND) application was recently accepted by the US FDA, and Phase 1 clinical trials set are set to begin in 2025 evaluate AT-7687’s effects both as a monotherapy and in combination with GLP-1 receptor agonists in obese patients.
“Coupled with our recent IND clearance, this investment allows us to accelerate the development of AT-7687 towards important clinical milestones,” said Antag’s CEO and co-founder, Alexander Hovard Sparre-Ulrich. “We believe our first-in-class peptide’s weight loss profile and flexible dosing will be key drivers of differentiation.”
Beyond AT-7687, Antag’s pipeline includes next-generation molecules enabling monthly administration and combinations with agents beyond GLP-1 receptor agonists.
The funding round was led by Versant Ventures, with participation from Novo Holdings, SR One, Dawn Biopharma, Pictet, Longview Ventures and the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark (EIFO).
“Antag’s peptides will have important advantages given their ability to be used alone or optimally combined with other incretin-based agents, in both weekly or monthly formats,” said Dr Alex Mayweg, Managing Director at Versant. “GIP receptor antagonism is just beginning to reveal its incredible potential, both in diabetic and non-diabetic obesity, and we are pleased to be at the forefront of this developing field.”
