Shanghai, China, November 11, 2026
Laekna Inc. has announced that its internally discovered investigational drug candidate LAE124, a novel oral small-molecule dual amylin/calcitonin receptor agonist (DACRA), has been selected for a scientific poster presentation at Obesity Week 2026, the 44th Annual Meeting of The Obesity Society. The research will be presented on November 15, 2026, during the Emerging Weight-Loss Therapies and Long-Term Outcomes session in Washington, D.C., highlighting the company’s progress in developing innovative oral treatments for obesity. LAE124 is designed to activate both amylin and calcitonin receptor pathways, which play important roles in appetite regulation, food intake and energy balance. According to the company, the investigational molecule demonstrated encouraging pharmacological activity in preclinical animal studies, including dose-dependent reductions in food intake and body weight in diet-induced obese (DIO) rat models. The compound also showed favorable pharmacokinetic characteristics, oral bioavailability and preliminary safety findings. Currently undergoing Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies, LAE124 represents an important addition to Laekna’s metabolic disease research pipeline and reflects growing pharmaceutical industry interest in convenient oral alternatives to injectable obesity treatments.
LAE124 Targets Amylin and Calcitonin Receptor Pathways
LAE124 is an orally administered small-molecule dual amylin/calcitonin receptor agonist developed to address obesity through a mechanism distinct from conventional weight-management therapies. Amylin is a naturally occurring pancreatic hormone released alongside insulin after meals. It contributes to appetite regulation, promotes feelings of fullness and helps control food intake. By activating amylin-related signaling pathways, therapeutic candidates may help reduce excessive food consumption and support weight management. The second component of LAE124’s mechanism involves calcitonin receptor activation. The combination of amylin and calcitonin receptor activity is intended to provide complementary biological effects that could support weight reduction. This dual-receptor approach is commonly described as a dual amylin/calcitonin receptor agonist (DACRA) strategy. One of the important features of LAE124 is its small-molecule formulation. Many amylin-based drug candidates currently being investigated are peptide medicines that require subcutaneous injections. In contrast, Laekna is developing LAE124 as a potential once-daily oral treatment. An effective oral formulation could offer greater administration convenience and potentially improve treatment adherence among people requiring long-term obesity management.
Preclinical Studies Demonstrate Weight Reduction Potential
Laekna reported encouraging findings from preclinical investigations evaluating the pharmacological activity of LAE124. In diet-induced obese rat models, a single oral administration of the investigational compound produced a significant, dose-dependent reduction in acute food intake. This observation indicates that LAE124 may influence appetite-regulating pathways involved in controlling food consumption. Further studies evaluated the effects of repeated daily administration over 28 consecutive days. The results demonstrated dose-dependent reductions in body weight among the treated animals, providing additional evidence supporting the compound’s potential as an obesity treatment candidate. The company also reported favorable pharmacokinetic characteristics in animal studies, including low clearance, high oral bioavailability and a relatively long half-life. These properties are important during drug development because they influence how a medicine is absorbed, distributed and eliminated by the body. Based on the observed animal pharmacokinetic profile, Laekna believes LAE124 may support once-daily oral administration at a low dose in humans. Additionally, preliminary investigations indicated a favorable safety profile and low potential for drug-drug interactions. These characteristics could provide greater flexibility when evaluating LAE124 alongside other metabolic treatments in future combination studies. However, the reported findings remain preclinical and do not establish safety or effectiveness in humans.
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Obesity Week 2026 Presentation Highlights Innovation
The scientific poster titled “LAE124: A Novel Oral Small Molecule Dual Amylin/Calcitonin Receptor Agonist for Treatment of Obesity” has been selected for presentation as Poster Number 465 at Obesity Week 2026. The presentation is scheduled for November 15, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The conference will take place from November 14 to 17, 2026, bringing together obesity researchers, clinicians and pharmaceutical industry specialists to discuss developments in metabolic disease research and weight-management treatments. Laekna’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Justin Gu, highlighted the potential of combining amylin-based mechanisms with other metabolic treatment approaches. He also emphasized the potential advantages of developing an orally available small-molecule DACRA compared with injectable peptide-based therapies. The development of LAE124 forms part of Laekna’s broader metabolic disease pipeline, which includes ActRII-targeting candidates LAE102, LAE103 and LAE123, alongside programmes targeting additional pathways such as UCN2. The company is also expanding its international research and development activities through collaborations and clinical programmes across multiple countries. The selection of LAE124 for Obesity Week 2026 demonstrates the growing importance of next-generation oral obesity medicines and alternative metabolic treatment mechanisms. Although the preclinical findings are encouraging, LAE124 remains investigational and has not yet entered human clinical trials. Completion of IND-enabling studies and subsequent regulatory review will determine the next stages of its clinical development. If future human studies confirm its safety and effectiveness, LAE124 could potentially offer a differentiated oral approach to long-term obesity management.
Source: Laekna press release
