New data backs Myo4 for obesity treatment

MitoRx Therapeutics Limited (MitoRx), a platform biotech company pioneering mitochondrial-targeted persulfide modifiers, has announced new preclinical data demonstrating the efficacy of its small molecule drug candidate, Myo4, in treating obesity. The results were presented in a poster session at the 85th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in Chicago.

The study highlights Myo4’s ability to restore insulin sensitivity in a widely used murine diet-induced obesity (DIO) model, building on earlier findings that it reduces fat while preserving muscle and bone health.

Myo4 enhances metabolic health

The data was showcased in a poster titled: The novel small molecule Myo4 normalises glycemic control, reduces weight/fat mass and prevents semaglutide-induced muscle remodelling in the murine diet-induced obesity model. Co-authored by Professor Matt Whiteman, MitoRx co-founder and Xavier Jacq, MitoRx’s Chief Scientific Officer, the research builds on findings previously shared at the 32nd European Congress on Obesity.

The earlier data demonstrated that Myo4 monotherapy effectively reduces fat while preserving muscle and bone mineral content. The latest results show that Myo4 also restores insulin sensitivity – an essential improvement for addressing the metabolic consequences of obesity.

Complementary effects with semaglutide

In addition to the monotherapy data, MitoRx presented findings demonstrating a synergistic effect when Myo4 is combined with semaglutide – a GLP-1 receptor agonist currently used in weight-loss therapy. The combination resulted in an accentuation of fat loss with complete muscle preservation.

Global obesity crisis drives innovation

Obesity continues to represent a huge global health crisis, affecting nearly 890 million people worldwide. An estimated 1.6 billion adults fall into the overweight category based on BMI. The World Obesity Federation forecasts that the economic impact of obesity could surpass USD 4 trillion by 2035 and rise to an astounding USD 18 trillion by 2060.  

A new approach beyond GLP-1s

“These additional preclinical results provide further confirmation for the potential of the small molecule Myo4. This demonstrates our approach can restore insulin sensitivity in addition to maintaining lean muscle mass whilst reducing fat,” said Xavier Jacq, CSO, MitoRx. “These data provide further demonstration of the potential of Myo4 to vastly increase the quality of weight loss over current GLP-1 options.”

MitoRx CEO Jon Rees emphasised the limitations of current therapies: “The treatment of obesity to date has been revolutionised by GLP-1s, but they come with significant drawbacks,” he said. “MitoRx’s development of Myo4 offers a novel root cause mechanism-of-action orthogonal to GLP-1s, exploiting a known metabolic impairment to addressing the underlying cause of obesity with the potential to lead the next generation of improved treatments for weight loss leading to better cardiometabolic health.”