Engineering of an Ultralong-Acting and Nonaggregating Dual Amylin and Calcitonin Receptor Agonist with Durable Efficacy in Obesity and Diabetes

  • J Med Chem. 2025 Nov 27;68(22):24701-24717. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c02893.
Nan Zheng  1 Rongfang Chen  1 Luying Yang  1 Pu Xu  1 Xueying Wang  1 Xin Sun  1 Yanxia Lin  1  2 Jinying Qiu  1  3 Xiao-Xuan Su  1 You Wang  1  3 Leiming Wang  1 Weijun Shen  1  3
Affiliations
  • 1. Translational Innovation Center, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, Guangdong China.
  • 2. Torrey Pines Medicine Co., Ltd, Shenzhen 518132, Guangdong China.
  • 3. Center for Translational Research, Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China.
Abstract

Synergistic activation of amylin and Calcitonin receptors represents a distinct strategy for the treatment of obesity and diabetes. However, the inherent fibrillogenic aggregation propensity and short half-life pose significant challenges for their therapeutic translation. Here, we disclose the discovery and preclinical studies of TPM004, an ultralong-acting and nonaggregating dual amylin and Calcitonin receptor agonist, endowed with balanced bioactivity. TPM004 displayed an extended half-life compatible with once-biweekly dosing in humans. In the DIO rat models, TPM004 produced robust and durable weight loss with preferential fat reduction while attenuating post-treatment adiposity rebound. TPM004 also demonstrated a prominent glucose-lowering efficacy and improved glucose homeostasis in the ZDF rats. Toxicology studies demonstrated broad safety margins for supratherapeutic exposures. Overall, these findings not only establish TPM004 as a novel DACRA preclinical candidate with strong translational promise but also represent a new paradigm for challenging peptide modifications through a long-acting helical stapling strategy.

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