New Weekly Obesity Drug Cuts Body Weight Over 9% in Under Two Months

Obesity remains one of the most significant drivers of premature aging and chronic disease, making effective new treatments highly relevant to longevity. MetaVia has presented encouraging early clinical and preclinical data at the American Diabetes Association 2026 Scientific Sessions, spotlighting two experimental compounds with meaningful weight-loss and metabolic benefits.

The headline finding involves DA-1726, a once-weekly injectable dual agonist that activates both GLP-1 and glucagon receptors simultaneously. In the highest-dose cohort tested so far — 48 mg — participants lost an average of 6.1% body weight by Day 26 and 9.1% by Day 54. Waist circumference shrank by nearly 10 cm and BMI dropped 3.4 points. Importantly, no weight-loss plateau was observed through Week 8, suggesting the drug's effects may continue to build over time.

Safety data were reassuring. Side effects were predominantly mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal symptoms — consistent with other drugs in this class — and no participants stopped treatment due to adverse events. Pharmacokinetic results confirmed steady, dose-proportional drug exposure, supporting the once-weekly dosing model.

MetaVia also presented preclinical data for vanoglipel, an oral once-daily GPR119 agonist. When combined with resmetirom — an already-approved MASH drug — vanoglipel produced a 23.6% body weight reduction in a mouse model of fatty liver disease, alongside significant drops in liver fat and liver enzyme levels. Combined with metformin in a type 2 diabetes model, it enhanced both blood sugar control and weight loss.

Caveats are significant: DA-1726 is still in Phase 1, meaning long-term safety and efficacy in larger, more diverse populations remain unconfirmed. Preclinical results for vanoglipel need human validation. Nonetheless, these results position MetaVia as a credible competitor in the rapidly expanding obesity drug landscape, with Phase 1 Part 3 data expected by Q4 2026.