MetaVia Inc. a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on transforming cardiometabolic diseases, today announced a research collaboration with Syntekabio, Inc., a leading artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, to identify additional disease targets and optimize the therapeutic profile of DA-1241, MetaVia's novel oral G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) agonist.

This collaboration follows positive results from MetaVia's 16-week, 109-subject Phase 2a study of DA-1241, which demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile alongside both hepatoprotective and glucose-regulating effects in presumed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) patients.

"The strong safety and tolerability profile shown in our Phase 2a data gives us confidence in DA-1241's broader therapeutic potential," stated Hyung Heon Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer of MetaVia. "Building on this clinical foundation, we are collaborating with Syntekabio to strategically expand the potential value of DA-1241. Specifically, we will leverage  their proprietary DeepMatcher® compound-protein interaction (CPI) AI prediction platform to conduct large-scale virtual screening against more than 1,700 validated protein targets to uncover new, high-potential indications while ensuring specificity and minimizing the risk of off-target effects. This data-driven approach will allow us to accelerate discovery and maximize the value of DA-1241. We believe this unique oral, well-tolerated candidate has the potential to address a range of unmet needs, and we look forward to initial insights from the collaboration later this year."

DA-1241 is a novel G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) agonist with development optionality as a standalone and/or combination therapy for both MASH and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Agonism of GPR119 in the gut promotes the release of key gut peptides GLP-1, GIP, and PYY. These peptides play a further role in glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism and weight loss. DA-1241 has beneficial effects on glucose, lipid profile and liver inflammation, supported by potential efficacy demonstrated during in vivo preclinical studies. The therapeutic potential of DA-1241 has been demonstrated in multiple pre-clinical animal models of MASH and T2D where DA-1241 reduced hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and improved glucose control. Furthermore, in Phase 1a, 1b and 2a trials, DA-1241 was well tolerated in both healthy volunteers and those with T2DM. In a Phase 2a clinical study, DA-1241 demonstrated direct hepatic action in addition to its glucose lowering effects.

Source: prnewswire.com