en.Wedoany.com Reported - Sciwind Biosciences announced interim analysis results from its head-to-head study (SLIMMER-UP-SWITCH) comparing ecnoglutide and semaglutide. Data showed that ecnoglutide, a cAMP-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist, demonstrated superior weight loss efficacy over semaglutide: a 35% greater reduction in body weight, a 20% greater reduction in waist circumference at week 20, and nearly double the proportion of patients achieving over 10% weight loss. These findings were presented as a late-breaking abstract at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 86th Scientific Sessions in 2026.
Professor Linong Ji, Director of the Department of Endocrinology at Peking University People's Hospital, noted that this study provides the first direct clinical evidence validating the clinical advantages of the innovative cAMP-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist mechanism. By optimizing GLP-1 receptor signal transduction, this drug offers superior clinical benefits compared to traditional GLP-1 receptor agonists, providing high-quality evidence-based medical evidence for weight management.
The study enrolled 163 obese adult patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m²) across 17 research centers in China. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive weekly subcutaneous injections of ecnoglutide or semaglutide, both at a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg. Study data showed that at week 20, the least squares mean percentage change in body weight from baseline was -12.8% in the ecnoglutide group and -9.5% in the semaglutide group. Additionally, ecnoglutide demonstrated significant advantages in improving body circumference, with an average waist circumference reduction of 10.5 cm from baseline at week 20, compared to 8.7 cm in the semaglutide group.
Professor Ji noted that central obesity, characterized by abdominal fat accumulation, not only affects body shape but is also a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Ecnoglutide effectively reduces body weight while significantly improving central obesity and localized fat accumulation, optimizing body shape and reducing the risk of related metabolic diseases.
Traditional GLP-1 receptor agonists typically employ a full-pathway activation mode, which, while activating weight loss signaling pathways, often also activates pathways associated with gastrointestinal adverse events and receptor desensitization, making it difficult to balance potent weight loss with good tolerability. Based on Nobel Prize-level research findings, ecnoglutide further addresses the industry challenge of balancing efficacy and tolerability in traditional weight loss therapies by optimizing GLP-1 receptor signal transduction. Its safety profile was reconfirmed in this head-to-head study, consistent with previous SLIMMER study results, demonstrating favorable gastrointestinal safety. The SLIMMER study was a large-scale Phase 3 clinical trial involving 664 overweight or obese adult participants in China. After 48 weeks of treatment, participants in the highest dose group (2.4 mg) achieved an average weight loss of 15.4%, with 92.8% of participants losing more than 5% of their body weight. The study also observed significant reductions in waist circumference (average reduction of 12.8 cm), an average 53.1% decrease in liver fat content in participants with baseline fatty liver, and significant improvements in multiple metabolic parameters including blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood glucose; additionally, uric acid levels decreased by an average of 54.3 μmol/L. The treatment discontinuation rate due to adverse events was 2%, and the discontinuation rate due to gastrointestinal adverse events was 0.6%.
Dr. Hai Pan, Founder and CEO of Sciwind Biosciences, stated that the company is honored to present this important progress at the ADA Scientific Sessions. Better weight loss therapies come from precise regulation of key biological mechanisms, not simple accumulation of targets. The head-to-head study of ecnoglutide and semaglutide provides direct clinical evidence for this innovative concept, marking a significant milestone in the translation of biased agonist mechanisms from cutting-edge science to clinical application.
Jean-Christophe Pointeau, Senior Vice President of Pfizer and President of Pfizer China, stated that these new findings further confirm that next-generation biased GLP-1 therapies can offer patients superior efficacy, tolerability, and safety in weight management and metabolic treatment. As the commercialization partner for ecnoglutide in China, Pfizer supports the introduction of this therapy and helps expand its accessibility.
SLIMMER-UP-SWITCH is a multicenter, randomized, open-label Phase 2 clinical trial conducted across 17 research centers in China, enrolling 163 obese adult patients (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive weekly subcutaneous injections of ecnoglutide or semaglutide, with a treatment period of 60 weeks and a prespecified interim analysis at week 20. The interim analysis data from this study was selected as a late-breaking abstract and presented as a poster at the 2026 ADA Scientific Sessions. Sciwind Biosciences is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to addressing unmet medical needs in weight management and metabolic diseases. Pfizer holds exclusive commercialization rights for Sciwind's injectable ecnoglutide product in mainland China.
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