Roche has discontinued the development of an investigational obesity treatment from its $2.7 billion acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics, according to a July 24 investor presentation. At the same time, another Carmot candidate is emerging as a potential leader in the weight loss field.
The company will no longer invest in acmopatide, previously known as CT-868, which was being developed for type 1 diabetes with obesity. Roche said this decision comes “as other T1D [type 1 diabetes] development programs get prioritized.” Data from a Phase 2 trial presented last month at the American Diabetes Association annual conference showed that acmopatide improved glucose control, with A1C levels dropping by 0.34% from baseline at a 4.1-mg dose and 56% of patients meeting the recommended A1C target of under 7%. The study used placebo as a control.
During a press call Thursday morning, CEO Thomas Schinecker said that acmopatide “met all the requirements,” but pointed to lead Carmot asset CT-388—now called enicepatide—as more promising for further development. “We can use one molecule for several indications, which makes more sense,” Schinecker said through an interpreter.
Enicepatide is described as a dual agonist of GLP-1 and GIP receptors and is considered Roche’s main asset from its Carmot acquisition. Phase 2 data indicated weight reduction up to 22.5% versus placebo, positioning it for best-in-class weight loss potential, according to Roche’s statement Thursday. Teresa Graham, CEO of Roche’s Pharmaceuticals division, said during the press call that “the 24-mg dose did not reach a weight loss plateau, and therefore we see the potential for additional weight loss with longer treatment duration.” Graham also noted there was no detected “tolerability ceiling” at the highest dose tested.
Roche plans an extensive Phase 3 program for enicepatide targeting weight loss, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes—but not type 1 diabetes—as per its company presentation. Regulatory submission for obesity could come as early as 2028.
The company’s obesity portfolio also includes petrelintide—a Zealand Pharma–partnered amylin asset—which recently showed a modest nine percent reduction in weight at forty-two weeks in Phase 2 trials but is expected to have further mid-stage readouts later this year.
