Kalohexis Emerges from Stealth to Advance First- and Best-in-Class Therapeutics Harnessing the Melanocortin System to Treat Obesity and Metabolic Diseases

Kalohexis' lead programs include 710GO, an oral dual melanocortin-3 and-4 receptor (MC3R/MC4R) agonist, a next-generation general obesity treatment; and mifomelatide, a dual MC3R/MC4R antagonist to prevent and treat cachexia in advanced cancers

710GO has shown healthier, more durable weight loss without lean body mass loss and other side effects common with GLP-1 receptor agonists

NORTHBROOK, Ill., March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kalohexis, a newly created biotechnology company to advance the clinical development of a portfolio of drug candidates harnessing the melanocortin (MC) system for the treatment of metabolic disorders such as obesity and cancer cachexia, today announced its launch and spinout from Endevica Bio, a privately-held company developing first-in-class synthetic peptidomimetics. The Endevica Bio leadership team will lead the newly spun-out Kalohexis.

The MC system is the body's natural regulator of metabolic homeostasis. It acts like a thermostat for metabolism, setting a target body weight and energy balance that it continuously works to maintain. Melanocortin-3 and -4 receptors (MC3R/MC4R) receive and integrate signals about hunger, nutrient availability and energy stores. Kalohexis is developing a proprietary pipeline of peptides designed to safely and effectively drug central MC3R and MC4R. Acting on these receptors reprograms the thermostat, establishing a new metabolic set-point for the body to actively maintain. Kalohexis is leveraging this central control system to drive durable change and address both ends of metabolic dysregulation within a single mechanistic framework. 

"The melanocortin system is the body's natural regulator of metabolic homeostasis, a powerful and underutilized therapeutic axis that has been misunderstood and suboptimally targeted in the past," said Russell Potterfield, Chief Executive Officer of Kalohexis. "With more than a decade of expertise in MC biology, Endevica Bio identified the molecular properties necessary to optimize therapeutic windows; based on these insights, Kalohexis will now advance the clinical development of agents modulating melanocortin-3 and -4 receptors. By capitalizing on the broad therapeutic potential of the MC system, Kalohexis is uniquely positioned to target many high-value and underserved metabolic indications, starting with general obesity and cancer cachexia, to help people live healthier lives."

Kalohexis' pipeline of assets includes 710GO, a novel, oral dual MC3R/MC4R agonist designed to activate the melanocortin system to induce higher quality, durable weight loss. Kalohexis expects to initiate a first-in-human, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial of 710GO in healthy overweight and obese volunteers in the first half of 2026. Kalohexis' dual MC3R/MC4R antagonist, mifomelatide, is in Phase 2 clinical development to prevent and treat cachexia in patients with advanced cancer. Cancer cachexia is a devastating wasting syndrome that can hinder patients' ability to withstand chemotherapy and impact survival.

"Our research on the MC system originated with our focus on developing a treatment for cancer cachexia, a life-threatening condition in which a patient's metabolism runs too "hot." After discovering how to successfully dial the thermostat down with a MC3R/MC4R antagonist, we recognized that with a few molecular modifications, we could also design a MC3R/MC4R agonist to turn the thermostat up as a potential treatment for obesity," said Dr. Daniel Marks, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Kalohexis. "710GO has the potential to be a healthier, more durable obesity treatment than current standard of care because rather than just suppressing appetite, it changes the body's metabolic set-point. In non-human primate studies, 710GO did not cause the side-effects common with GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as loss of lean body mass, gastrointestinal distress and rapid weight regain following treatment cessation, demonstrating a product profile with the potential to be used as a monotherapy or in combination with other anti-obesity regimens."

In preclinical studies, 710GO was found to be safe and well-tolerated and has shown promising early efficacy. In a preclinical study in obese non-human primates (NHP), 13-week treatment with 710GO demonstrated an average weight reduction of 11.7% compared to control. Furthermore, combination treatment of obese NHPs with 710GO and the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide over 19 days demonstrated an average weight reduction of 6.5% compared to a reduction of 3.0% with semaglutide monotherapy over the same time period.

Notably, treatment with 710GO did not cause the side effects commonly associated with standard-of-care GLP-1 receptor agonist obesity treatments: significant lean body mass loss¹, rapid weight rebound following treatment cessation², and gastrointestinal distress³. In NHP studies of 710GO treatment, weight loss did not correspond to a significant decrease in lean muscle mass (<10% of the total body mass loss), compared to the 20-50% lean body mass loss associated with standard-of-care GLP-1 receptor agonist obesity treatments¹. In addition, cessation of 710GO treatment in NHPs resulted in only a 34% weight rebound of the total weight lost on treatment over 6 weeks following treatment cessation, compared to >100% weight rebound in only 2 weeks following cessation of GLP-1 agonist treatment. No gastrointestinal side effects were observed in NHPs treated with 710GO, either acutely or following 13 weeks of treatment.

Mr. Potterfield continued, "Beyond obesity and cachexia, our pipeline includes first-in-class MC4R-selective and MC3R-selective agonists with the potential to address multiple metabolic indications with significant unmet needs, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, opioid use disorder, sarcopenia, polycystic ovary syndrome, muscle retention adjuvant, and menopausal weight maintenance. By targeting the melanocortin system in a differentiated way, our portfolio of first- and best-in-class drugs offers new hope to millions of people suffering with metabolic diseases."

A Phase 2 trial (NCT06937177) to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of mifomelatide treating cachexia in patients with advanced colorectal cancer was initiated in Q2 2025 and is currently ongoing. The trial's primary endpoints include change from baseline in body weight, incidence and severity of AEs, and incidence of lab or vital sign abnormalities; secondary endpoints include change from baseline in appetite and quality of life.

A Phase 1 clinical trial of mifomelatide in healthy volunteers showed that treatment was well tolerated and not associated with vital sign abnormalities, cardiovascular abnormalities, or drug-related adverse events. Although not designed to study efficacy, participants treated with mifomelatide in the Phase 1 experienced a modest increase in body weight and hunger compared with placebo. Preclinical studies of mifomelatide showed that peripheral administration improved appetite, stabilized body weight, preserved fat and heart mass, and slightly protected lean mass, with no notable adverse effects.

About Endevica Bio
Endevica Bio is a world-leader in the discovery of first-in-class peptide drug candidates. Endevica Bio's proprietary technology platform, protected by a robust intellectual property portfolio, allows for the AI-assisted design of novel peptides to modulate activity of previously undrugged G-protein coupled receptors behind the blood-brain barrier, bringing new hope to areas of high unmet medical need. More information can be found at www.endevicabio.com.

About Kalohexis
Kalohexis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company shaping the next era of metabolic disease care by harnessing the melanocortin (MC) system, the body's natural regulator of metabolic homeostasis, to help people live healthier lives. Kalohexis' first- and best-in-class therapeutic peptides are designed to safely and effectively drug central melanocortin-3 and -4 receptors (MC3R/MC4R) to treat many metabolic disorders. Kalohexis' lead pipeline programs are 710GO, an oral dual MC3R/MC4R agonist to induce healthier, more durable weight loss in general obesity, and mifomelatide, a dual MC3R/MC4R antagonist to prevent and treat cachexia in patients with advanced cancers. For more information, visit www.kalohexis.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Investor and Media Contact:
Argot Partners
[email protected]

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SOURCE Kalohexis