On May 11, 2026, Fractyl Health announced that it has obtained approval for a clinical trial application in the Netherlands and will initiate the first human clinical trial of its Rejuvea Smart GLP-1m gene therapy platform's first candidate drug RJVA-0018I/phase.
RIVA-001 is a one-time gene therapy targeting pancreatic beta cells, which can achieve physiological secretion of GLP-1 with nutrient intake in the pituitary gland, and is expected to avoid various side effects caused by excessive drug circulation concentration in systemic GLP-1 therapy. The drug is directly infused into pancreatic tissue through minimally invasive endoscopic ultrasound-guided technology, relying on the company's self-developed and modified human insulin promoter and transport signal to induce GLP-1 secretion in transduced pancreatic cells after feeding.
RJVA-001 is the world's first adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy for type 2 diabetes to enter the clinical stage, and also the world's first GLP-1 gene therapy to enter the clinical stage.
The company plans to complete the first patient administration of RJVA-001 in the second half of 2026 and release preliminary research data.
Pfizer's acquisition of ultra long acting GLP-1 receptor agonists has been approved for clinical trials in China for the first time
On May 12, 2026, the official website of the China National Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) announced that Pfizer's Class 1 new drug PF-08653944 Injection has been approved for clinical use in long-term weight management for adults with an initial body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 28 kg/m2 (obesity) or ≥ 24 kg/m2 (overweight) and at least one weight related complication (such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, etc.), based on controlled diet and increased exercise. Public information shows that this is the first time PF-08653944 has been clinically approved in China. PF-08653944 (MET-097) is an ultra long acting fully biased GLP-1 receptor agonist developed by Metsera. It is being developed as a weekly monotherapy and monthly therapy, as well as in combination with various peptide drugs.
15.2 billion US dollars! Hengrui Pharmaceutical and Bristol Myers Squibb reached a strategic cooperation agreement
On May 12, 2026, Hengrui Pharmaceutical (600276. SH; 01276. HK) and Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY "BMS") announced today that they have reached a global strategic cooperation and licensing agreement to jointly promote 13 early-stage projects covering oncology, hematology, and immunology, in order to accelerate the development of innovative drugs and benefit patients worldwide.
This cooperation agreement includes 4 Hengrui oncology and hematology projects, 4 BMS immunology projects, and 5 innovative projects jointly developed by both parties based on Hengrui's R&D engine and diversified innovation technology platform. Hengrui has the option to jointly develop specific projects and has the opportunity to collaborate with BMS on specific commercial activities worldwide.
Under the framework of this cooperation, BMS has obtained the global exclusive rights of the above Hengrui original research projects and joint research and development projects relying on the Hengrui platform, except for Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region.
Hengrui Pharmaceutical has obtained the exclusive rights of the above BMS original research projects in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region, and BMS reserves the rights of other regions in the world except these regions. Hengrui Pharmaceutical will be fully responsible for the early clinical development of the above-mentioned projects and accelerate the validation of clinical concepts.
The agreement reached this time is in line with the collaborative innovation strategy of BMS and Hengrui, demonstrating their continued commitment to promoting scientific innovation through cooperation in major and unmet medical needs. Based on the differentiated research and development advantages of BMS, global clinical development capabilities, registered professional capabilities, and commercial scale, as well as Hengrui Pharmaceutical's drug development engine, technology platform, and efficient early research capabilities, this cooperation will accelerate the advancement of a series of high-value projects.
Novo Nordisk: Higher doses of Wegovy show an average weight loss of nearly 28% in early responders
On May 12, 2026, Novo Nordisk released a new subgroup analysis from the large-scale clinical trial STEPUP at the European Obesity Conference (ECO) held in Istanbul, Türkiye. The analysis results show that regardless of the speed at which individuals respond to treatment, higher doses of weight loss drug Wegovy @ have shown good efficacy in helping obese patients achieve significant weight loss.
In addition, another STEPUP subgroup analysis published on ECO showed that the weight loss achieved by Wegowy8 was mainly due to a decrease in body fat, while most of the muscle mass was retained.
The STEPUP test carried out in obese patients carried out a 72 week comparative study on smeglutide (7.2mg) of higher dose star, 2.4mg dose and placebo. More than 1400 adult obese patients without type 2 diabetes were included.
The research results are impressive. In the 7.2mg dose group, the average weight loss of patients was 21%; Based on the average weight of 113kg before starting treatment with semaglutide, the corresponding average weight loss was approximately 23kg. In comparison, within 72 weeks, the average weight loss in the semaglutide 2.4mg group was approximately 17.5%, while the placebo group was 2.4%. The 21% weight loss achieved by 7.2mg of semaglutide is consistent with the safety and tolerability characteristics of 2.4mg dose of semaglutide.