The phase 2 MariTide trial of maridebart cafraglutide showed notable weight loss at 52 weeks, with no plateau, on monthly or less frequent injections. Investigators will detail results for individuals with or without type 2 diabetes at the 85^th Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

“The data released earlier pooled several treatment arms and summarized results,” said Ania M. Jastreboff, MD, PhD, Associated Professor of Endocrinology at Yale University School of Medicine, Director for the Yale Obesity Research Center, and Co-Director of the Yale Center for Weight Management. “We will be presenting the unpooled data for each of the treatment arms in people with obesity and details of cardiometabolic measures for people with and without type 2 diabetes.”

Dr. Jastreboff will discuss results in individuals with obesity without type 2 diabetes during the session Once-Monthly MariTide for the Treatment of Obesity in People With or Without Type 2 Diabetes—A 52-Week Phase 2 Study on Monday, June 23, from 1:30–3:00 p.m., in Room W375 A of the McCormick Place Convention Center. On-demand access to recorded presentations will be available to registered participants following the conclusion of the 85^th Scientific Sessions, from June 25–August 25.

Harold Bays, MD, Medical Director and President of the Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center, will present results for individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Participants in the diabetes cohort also experienced weight loss, but less than participants without type 2 diabetes.

“We know that those with diabetes mellitus often experience more challenging weight reduction than those without diabetes. So, I think the difference in efficacy between those with and without diabetes will be interesting,” Dr. Bays said. “What we really want to know is how and why the two cohorts stack up the way they did.”

Randy J. Seeley, PhD, the Henry King Ransom Professor of Surgery and Director of the Michigan Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Michigan’s Neuroscience Institute, will discuss the rationale behind maridebart cafraglutide. The long-acting peptide-antibody conjugate is a novel bispecific glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor antagonist. The agent upregulates GLP-1 and downregulates GIP pathways to reduce body weight.

The MariTide trial also included a dose tolerability substudy. Nausea and vomiting are expected side effects, but expected does not mean acceptable to patients.

“What’s unusual is this substudy arm used a nausea and vomiting questionnaire developed for patients getting chemotherapy,” said Donna H. Ryan, MD, Professor Emerita, Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “And we did pharmacokinetics (PK) throughout the dose escalations, so we know patients achieved steady state blood levels for each dose. We could compare PK data with questionnaire results to create a rational dose escalation schedule, instead of trial and error, to inform the phase 3 study. We want more people to be able to tolerate these drugs.”

Julio Rosenstock, MD, Senior Scientific Advisor for Velocity Clinical Research, Director of Velocity’s site at Medical City Dallas, and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, will discuss the potential impact of the trial on the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

“We would all like to see another entry into the obesity medication market with robust efficacy and tolerability,” Dr. Bays said. “That’s what patients want and what clinicians want for them.”