SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 26, 2026
Marea Therapeutics announced that new data from its first-in-human Phase 1 clinical study of MAR002 for the treatment of acromegaly will be presented in an oral session at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society (ENDO 2026), taking place June 13–16 in Chicago, Illinois. The presentation highlights the company’s progress in developing a potential best-in-class growth hormone receptor antagonist antibody designed to improve treatment convenience and long-term disease control for patients with the rare endocrine disorder.
Phase 1 MAR002 Results Show Durable IGF-1 Suppression
The oral presentation, titled “A First-in-Human Study of a Novel Growth Hormone Receptor Antagonist Antibody in Healthy Men Demonstrates Translational Potential for Acromegaly,” will be delivered during the Neuroendocrinology and Pituitary session on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at ENDO 2026. The study focuses on MAR002, a first-in-class allosteric monoclonal antibody targeting the growth hormone receptor (GHR).
Earlier in January 2026, Marea Therapeutics reported positive topline Phase 1 data demonstrating strong performance across safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamic activity, and dosing convenience. One of the most important findings was the ability of MAR002 to produce deep and durable suppression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a key disease biomarker in acromegaly. The company believes the therapy may support subcutaneous dosing as infrequently as once every two weeks, representing a major improvement over the current standard treatment, which requires daily injections.
The results position MAR002 as a potentially transformative therapy for patients who struggle with treatment burden and adherence issues associated with currently available growth hormone receptor antagonists. Based on these findings, Marea Therapeutics plans to initiate a Phase 2/3 clinical study in mid-2026.
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Acromegaly Remains an Area of Significant Unmet Need
Acromegaly is a rare but serious endocrine disease caused by chronic overproduction of growth hormone (GH), most commonly from a pituitary adenoma. Excess GH stimulates elevated levels of IGF-1, leading to progressive enlargement of the hands, feet, facial bones, and internal organs. If left untreated, the condition can cause severe complications including cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and reduced life expectancy.
Current therapies aim to normalize IGF-1 and control GH signaling, but treatment limitations remain significant. The only approved growth hormone receptor antagonist, pegvisomant, requires daily administration, which often leads to poor patient adherence and inconsistent disease control in real-world settings.
Marea’s MAR002 is designed to address these limitations through a half-life-extended monoclonal antibody platform that allows less frequent dosing while maintaining potent and selective receptor antagonism. Preclinical and early clinical findings suggest the therapy offers predictable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, supporting prolonged activity and sustained suppression of IGF-1 levels.
MAR002 Could Strengthen Marea’s Cardioendocrine Pipeline
Marea Therapeutics continues to build its pipeline around genetically informed therapies targeting cardioendocrine diseases. Alongside MAR002, the company is also advancing MAR001, currently in Phase 2b development for severe hypertriglyceridemia (sHTG), a condition linked to elevated cardiovascular risk and pancreatitis.
The upcoming ENDO 2026 presentation is expected to increase visibility for MAR002 among endocrinologists, investors, and biotechnology partners as the company moves closer toward late-stage clinical development. With demand growing for more convenient and effective endocrine therapies, MAR002 could emerge as a differentiated option in the global acromegaly treatment market.
As Marea prepares for the next stage of development, the Phase 1 data presentation at ENDO 2026 may provide important clinical validation for its strategy of combining innovative antibody engineering with endocrine disease biology to deliver next-generation therapies.
Source: Marea Therapeutics press release
