SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO and SAN DIEGO — September 8, 2026
Moonwalk Biosciences announced the closing of an oversubscribed $70 million Series B financing to advance its adipose-targeted RNA interference (RNAi) platform for obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. The financing was co-led by Alpha Wave and YK Bioventures, with participation from Eli Lilly and Company, Gaorong Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures and Future Ventures. The funding represents a significant financing milestone for Moonwalk as the company transitions its lead obesity program toward clinical development and expands its pipeline of tissue-targeted siRNA medicines. Proceeds will primarily support the advancement of MW101 into first-in-human clinical studies targeted for late 2027, while also accelerating discovery and development of additional programs targeting novel adipose biology. The financing provides Moonwalk with resources to advance its proprietary discovery platform and strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive obesity therapeutics landscape, where companies are seeking approaches that can complement or move beyond established incretin-based mechanisms.
Moonwalk Builds Adipose-Targeted RNAi Platform for Obesity
Moonwalk’s core strategy centers on selectively delivering siRNA medicines directly to adipose tissue, enabling targeted modulation of biological pathways involved in obesity without directly affecting other tissues. The company combines human genetics, epigenomics and multi-omics discovery with proprietary tissue-targeting chemistry to identify therapeutic targets that may have previously been difficult to access pharmacologically. Its pipeline is focused on non-incretin pathways associated with energy homeostasis, adipogenesis, lipolysis and thermogenesis, with the goal of developing potentially differentiated medicines that could deliver durable effects while preserving lean muscle mass and supporting infrequent dosing. Moonwalk exclusively licensed the adipose-targeting chemistry used in its first-in-class pipeline from Suzhou Siran Biotechnology. This platform-focused approach represents the central component of the company’s development strategy, allowing Moonwalk to pursue adipose biology directly rather than relying primarily on appetite suppression. The company believes targeted RNAi could provide a new therapeutic framework for addressing the underlying biology of obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions.
MW101 Advances Toward First-in-Human Clinical Development
Moonwalk is advancing MW101 as its lead development candidate, with first-in-human clinical studies expected in late 2027 following completion of ongoing IND-enabling work. The company has reported preclinical findings showing reductions in body weight and fat mass while preserving lean muscle mass, without reducing food intake. Moonwalk has also generated translational evidence supporting favorable modulation of metabolic pathways associated with healthy adipose remodeling. In non-human primate studies, the company demonstrated durable adipose target engagement following a single dose, supporting the potential for extended dosing intervals such as quarterly or twice-yearly administration. While these findings remain preclinical and will require clinical validation, they provide the scientific foundation for Moonwalk’s next development stage. The planned transition of MW101 into human testing represents a major milestone for the company and will provide the first opportunity to evaluate the platform’s safety, pharmacology and biological activity in patients. Alongside MW101, Moonwalk is advancing multiple additional tissue-targeted siRNA programs addressing obesity and cardiometabolic diseases.
Advertisement
Moonwalk Strengthens Clinical and Corporate Development Strategy
The Series B financing also supports Moonwalk’s broader organizational expansion, including the appointment of Dr. Stephen Djedjos as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development. Djedjos brings more than 20 years of clinical and drug-development experience and previously served as SVP and Head of Clinical Development at Kailera Therapeutics, where he worked on obesity and metabolic disease programs. His earlier experience includes senior clinical development roles at Mineralys Therapeutics, Sana Biotechnology, Gilead Sciences and Amgen, where he contributed to the development and approval of Repatha. The appointment comes as Moonwalk prepares to move from preclinical research toward human clinical development and builds the infrastructure needed for its lead program and broader pipeline. With $70 million in new capital, support from strategic and specialist investors, a lead program targeting first-in-human studies in 2027 and a growing tissue-targeted RNAi pipeline, Moonwalk Biosciences is positioning its adipose-selective platform as a potential new development approach for obesity and cardiometabolic disease.
Source:Moonwalk Biosciences, press release
