Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech

GLP-1 muscle loss: the next battleground in obesity treatment (Part 2 of 3)

• Labiotech • Episode 220

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0:00 | 28:25

Welcome to a special three-part series called 'The Metabolic Moment'.

In just a few years, GLP-1 drugs have become a phenomenon. They’ve transformed how we treat diabetes and obesity, created one of the biggest markets in pharma, and sparked a cultural conversation that reaches far beyond the clinic. Now that market is shifting. Cheaper alternatives are coming, new mechanisms are entering trials, and some companies are aiming for something closer to a cure.

So what happens next for patients, for the companies leading the field, and for the startups hoping to overtake them? Across three conversations, we’ll follow the money, the science, and the people behind this metabolic moment.

In part two of our series,  I’m joined by Paul Little, CEO of Atrogi. We talk about what GLP-1s leave unsolved, the science behind ATR-258, and how a small company competes in a market led by giants.

  • 02:24 Meet Paul Little
  • 05:08 What GLP-1s leave unsolved, from muscle loss to weight rebound
  • 10:29 How ATR-258 tunes beta-2 signalling to mimic exercise
  • 16:11 Avoiding the cardiovascular side effects of older beta-2 agonists
  • 19:03 What the new muscle power and body composition data mean
  • 22:03 Phase 2 options, oral advantages and the path to partnering

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