Onconic Therapeutics (476060.KQ) is developing a drug designed to be given alongside GLP-1 obesity treatments to preserve muscle during weight loss. The strategy is to build on the weight-loss effects of existing obesity drugs while addressing unmet needs that emerge during treatment, such as loss of muscle mass.
Onconic Therapeutics said on the 12th that the Obesity Society had released the title of a research presentation on its new drug candidate OCN-501 through the official program for ObesityWeek 2026. The company presented for the first time the research direction of a drug it had not previously disclosed, positioning it as a follow-up to Zastaprazan, its treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Nesuparib, its cancer drug candidate.
The presentation is titled "First-in-Class OCN-501 Preserves Skeletal Muscle During Semaglutide-Induced Weight Loss." The study examines the effect of combining OCN-501 with semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, to preserve skeletal muscle during weight loss. The company is developing OCN-501 as a first-in-class drug candidate for use in combination with existing GLP-1 treatments.
The study was accepted as a late-breaking abstract and selected for an oral presentation session on next-generation obesity treatments and clinical outcomes. Detailed methods, results and data will be disclosed at the meeting in Washington, D.C., in November, in line with the society's embargo policy.
The goal of OCN-501 is to improve body composition by preserving muscle alongside weight loss. Weight loss with existing GLP-1 treatments can reduce not only fat but also lean body mass, including muscle. As a result, combination treatment strategies that offset muscle loss are emerging as a key research focus in obesity drug development. Onconic Therapeutics plans to develop OCN-501 as a follow-up drug aimed at global markets, drawing on experience gained from commercializing Zastaprazan and developing Nesuparib.
"OCN-501 is a drug candidate being developed with the strategic goal of creating new treatment value through combination with GLP-1 treatments," an official at Onconic Therapeutics said. "As interest across the global pharmaceutical industry in GLP-1 combinations and body composition improvement widens, we plan to develop it as a next-generation drug pipeline."