BioAge scraps mid-stage trial of experimental obesity drug, shares fall

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(Reuters) -BioAge Labs said on Friday it is discontinuing the mid-stage trial of its experimental obesity drug after high levels of certain liver enzymes were observed in some patients, sending its shares down nearly 73% to $5.40 in after-market trading.

The drug developer was studying the experimental drug, azelaprag, as a monotherapy and in combination with Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide.

Azelaprag mimics the activity of the exerkine apelin, a peptide released in response to exercise due to muscle contraction.

The trial was designed to study two oral doses of azelaprag in combination with tirzepatide, which is the active ingredient in Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro and weight-loss treatment Zepbound.

Transaminitis, or high levels of a liver enzyme called transaminase in the blood, was observed in 11 patients who received azelaprag with no clinically significant symptoms, BioAge said.

The company added that none were observed in the tirzepatide-only treatment group.

BioAge has stopped dosing all patients and plans to further analyze data from people who have been enrolled.

The company has notified regulatory authorities about its decision to discontinue enrollment and intends to share updated plans for azelaprag in the first quarter of 2025.

The company made a strong market debut in September as investors took a bet on the weight-loss drug frenzy.

Soaring demand for weight-loss drugs, expected to be a $150 billion market by the early 2030s, has attracted more investors toward companies tapping into the lucrative segment.

(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)