Hansoh’s olatorepatide achieved 19% weight loss at 48 weeks in a Phase 3 trial in China, handing partner Regeneron a glimmer of hope for a pipeline in desperate need of reinvigoration.
Regeneron’s Chinese partner Hansoh has reported 19% mean weight loss for the dual GLP-1/GIPR agonist olatorepatide in a Phase 3 trial, competitive data that analysts say could help light a spark in the pharma’s lackluster pipeline.
The results come from a late-stage test conducted in China by Hansoh of 604 adults with obesity or who are overweight. The weight loss was achieved at week 48 with tolerability that Truist Securities said appeared to be an improvement over others in the incretin class, to which Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy belong. Hansoh said the data could help differentiate olatorepatide, which is also an incretin.
“[We] are encouraged on the potential of the in-licensed obesity asset, gaining a seat at the table,” Truist wrote in a Monday morning note.
Olatorepatide met the trial’s co-primary endpoints, achieving a statistically significant reduction in body weight from baseline as compared to placebo and showing a greater proportion of participants who achieved at least 5% weight loss at 48 weeks.
On tolerability, Hansoh reported a lower rate of gastrointestinal adverse events and treatment discontinuations as compared to other late-stage incretin trials that have been published. The incidence of nausea was below 10% and average incidence of vomiting was 5%.
Regeneron snagged the rights to olatorepatide outside of China in a June 2025 deal worth $80 million upfront with $1.93 billion in potential milestones. The company plans to kick off a global late-stage program later this year, according to the Monday release. More data from the study, which tested three dose levels, will be released at a future medical meeting.
The asset could help invigorate excitement in Regeneron’s future, Truist noted. The company suffered a series of regulatory and manufacturing hurdles last year, as well as declines for top moneymaker Eylea. Regeneron has also struggled to come up with a viable replacement for Sanofi-partnered immunology juggernaut Dupixent, which is facing stiff competition from emerging therapies.
Pfizer reported Phase 2 data this morning for tilrekimig in atopic dermatitis, which could challenge Dupixent, Truist said.
The Hansoh-partnered asset is one way Regeneron is trying to get back in the game. The company is eyeing three indications for olatorepatide: weight loss, diabetes and concurrent dyslipidemia.
“We continue to track management’s positioning of ola’ in a competitive and crowded obesity landscape,” Truist wrote. “Though carving out the legs of growth beyond Dupi’ and Eylea, in a way that is more novel (and less me-too), especially in the face of evolving and competitive future landscapes, is an approach that, to us, may resonate most with investors given the stage of the REGN portfolio.”
