In recent years, the concept of "building muscle while reducing fat" has increasingly become a hot new trend within the multibillion-dollar weight loss market. A substantial body of research data indicates that while the weight loss efficacy of GLP-1 class drugs is already quite good, approximately one-third of the weight loss achieved through these drugs results from muscle loss rather than fat consumption. Therefore, how to prevent muscle loss or even increase muscle mass while reducing body weight is the next-generation weight management paradigm pursued by numerous pharmaceutical companies and a current clinical necessity for patients with obesity or being overweight.

It has been learned that recently, concerning a new generation of weight loss therapies, a clinical study initiated by researchers (Investigator-Initiated Trial, IIT) has been launched at the Endocrinology Department of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. According to information uploaded to http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, this IIT is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study aimed at evaluating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of combining LAE102 (a selective monoclonal antibody targeting ActRIIA) with tirzepatide in obese subjects. Sixty participants will be randomly assigned to either the combination therapy group or the placebo group, receiving treatment for a duration of 24 weeks.

In essence, the focus of this study is to explore the dual role of the ActRII target in "muscle building and fat reduction." This target possesses key characteristics of next-generation weight loss therapies, including both weight reduction and muscle building, and is thus regarded as a "golden partner" for GLP-1 drugs. It is also seen as the next major target in the metabolic field after the GLP-1 target, holding significant promise for the global pharmaceutical industry.

In the direction of "muscle building and fat reduction," LAEKNA-B (02105)'s self-developed LAE102 and Eli Lilly's Bimagrumab are pioneers in this field. LAE102 is one of the few investigational agents targeting ActRII that has entered the clinical trial stage globally, aside from Bimagrumab. This IIT, through the combined use of LAE102 and tirzepatide, is expected to explore a new generation of combination therapies that could provide more effective long-term benefits for obese patients, driving continuous innovation in the "Chinese strategy" for addressing the vast, potential unmet need in "muscle building and fat reduction."