Ascletis Announces First Participants Dosed in a 13-week U.S. Phase II Study with ASC30, an Oral Small Molecule GLP-1R Agonist for the Treatment of Diabetes

-Topline data from the Phase II study for the treatment of diabetes are expected in the third quarter of 2026.

-ASC30 demonstrated placebo-adjusted weight loss of up to 7.7% in a recently completed 13-week U.S. Phase II study in participants with obesity or overweight, with better gastrointestinal tolerability. No hepatic safety signal was observed.

HONG KONG, Jan. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascletis Pharma Inc. (HKEX: 1672, "Ascletis") announces today that the first participants have been dosed in a U.S. 13-week Phase II study (NCT07321678) with ASC30, an oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Topline data from the Phase II study are expected in the third quarter of 2026. 

Ascletis recently completed a 13-week Phase II study evaluating ASC30 for the treatment of obesity (NCT07002905) in 125 participants with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity at multiple sites across the U.S. At the 13-week primary endpoint, ASC30 once-daily tablets showed statistically significant, clinically meaningful and dose-dependent placebo-adjusted mean body weight reductions of 5.4%, 7.0% and 7.7% for 20 mg, 40 mg and 60 mg, respectively. No plateau was observed for weight loss. The vomiting rate of ASC30 titrated weekly to target dose was approximately half of the published vomiting rate observed with orforglipron titrated weekly. The gastrointestinal tolerability of ASC30 titrated weekly was comparable to published results of orforglipron titrated every four weeks in the Phase III ATTAIN-1 study. The total treatment discontinuation rate due to adverse events for the ASC30 Phase II study for obesity or overweight was 4.8%.

ASC30 was discovered and developed in-house at Ascletis as a first and only investigational small molecule GLP-1R fully biased agonist that can be dosed once daily orally and once monthly to once quarterly subcutaneously for the treatment of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

"Expanding ASC30's clinical development into the large diabetes treatment market is a logical next step that provides us with another chance to highlight ASC30's potential best-in-class profile as a once-daily oral treatment option for patients," said Jinzi Jason Wu, Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ascletis, "We look forward to sharing topline data from the Phase II study in diabetes participants in the third quarter of 2026."

About the U.S. Phase II Study with ASC30 for the Treatment of Diabetes

The Phase II study is a 13-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and multi-center study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ASC30 tablets in participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The primary endpoint of the Phase II study is the mean change from baseline in HbA1c up to 13 weeks in the treatment group compared with the placebo group. Secondary endpoints include the mean change from baseline in fasting blood glucose up to 13 weeks in the treatment group compared with the placebo group, the mean change from baseline in body weight up to 13 weeks in the treatment group compared with placebo group, and safety and tolerability. The Phase II study will enroll approximately 100 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus at multiple sites across the U.S. Participants will be randomly assigned in a ratio of approximately 2:3:3:2 to 40 mg, 60 mg and 80 mg ASC30 tablets and matching placebo tablets, respectively. ASC30 will be titrated weekly from 1 mg to target doses of 40 mg, 60 mg and 80 mg.

About Ascletis Pharma Inc.

Ascletis Pharma Inc. is a fully integrated biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of potential best-in-class and first-in-class therapeutics to treat metabolic diseases. Utilizing its proprietary Artificial Intelligence-assisted Structure-Based Drug Discovery (AISBDD) and Ultra-Long-Acting Platform (ULAP) technologies as well as Peptide Oral Transport ENhancement Technology (POTENT), Ascletis has developed multiple drug candidates in-house, including both small molecules and peptides, such as its lead program, ASC30, a small molecule GLP-1R agonist designed to be administered once daily orally and once monthly to once quarterly subcutaneously as a treatment therapy and a maintenance therapy for chronic weight management; ASC36, a once-monthly subcutaneously administered amylin receptor peptide agonist, ASC35, a once-monthly subcutaneously administered GLP-1R/GIPR dual peptide agonist and ASC37, a GLP-1R/GIPR/GCGR triple peptide agonist for chronic weight management. Ascletis is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (1672.HK).

For more information, please visit www.ascletis.com.

Contact：

Peter Vozzo
ICR Healthcare
443-231-0505 (U.S.)
[email protected] 

Ascletis Pharma Inc. PR and IR teams
+86-181-0650-9129 (China)
[email protected]
[email protected]

SOURCE Ascletis Pharma Inc.