MetaVia reported interim results from a small Phase 1 study of DA-1726, its once-weekly experimental drug for obesity and liver-related metabolic disease. After 16 weeks, participants receiving the drug had a statistically significant reduction in liver fat and weight compared with placebo. The company says the results support plans to test DA-1726 in people with metabolic dysfunction-associated and alcohol-associated liver disease.
The data are interim, and the study involved a limited number of participants. MetaVia also posted an updated corporate presentation, but the announcement did not describe its contents.
Key details
- Liver fat fell: In the MRI substudy, DA-1726 was associated with a 68% placebo-adjusted reduction in liver fat at Day 109, measured by MRI-PDFF. The comparison included 12 participants who received DA-1726 and four who received placebo.
- Changes among participants with liver fat at baseline: All five DA-1726 recipients who started with liver steatosis had MRI-PDFF readings below 5% by Day 109. Ten of the 12 treated participants in the MRI substudy had at least a 30% relative reduction in liver fat; none of the four placebo recipients did.
- Weight declined: Participants receiving DA-1726 lost an average of 12.19 kilograms, or 11.9% of their starting weight. The placebo-adjusted reduction was 13.5%. The weight analysis included 15 treated participants and four on placebo.
- HbA1c improved in participants without diabetes: In that group, average HbA1c went from 5.79% at baseline to 5.33% at Day 109. The placebo-adjusted reduction was 0.24 percentage points.
- Other body-composition findings: MetaVia reported significant reductions in visceral and subcutaneous fat, with relative preservation of lean tissue and muscle volume. It did not provide numerical changes for these measures in the announcement.
- Safety update: No new gastrointestinal adverse events were reported after Week 9 through Day 109, and no gastrointestinal adverse event led to a participant leaving the study.
- Next steps: MetaVia expects to report full results from Parts 3A and 3B in the first quarter of 2027. It is planning a 48-week Phase 2 study enrolling up to 150 people with MetALD or alcohol-associated liver disease, with the study targeted to begin in the second half of 2027.
What the results mean
DA-1726 is designed to act on both GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. The interim findings show changes in liver fat alongside weight and HbA1c improvements, but they come from a short Phase 1 study in otherwise healthy adults with obesity—not from the planned liver-disease patient population. The larger, longer Phase 2 study is intended to test the drug in people with MetALD and alcohol-associated liver disease.