Explore the Agenda
8:30 am Morning Coffee & Check-In
9:20 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
Navigating Patient Heterogeneity to Improve Treatment Selection & Maximize Clinical Outcomes
9:30 am Overcoming GLP-1 Resistance Through Cortisol Modulation to Unlock More Effective Weight Loss in Dys-Metabolic Obesity
- Exploring how chronic stress, HPA-axis dysregulation, and cortisol excess contribute to treatment-resistant obesity, diabetes, and hypertension
- Examining the biological mechanisms linking cortisol signalling with appetite regulation, energy balance, and responsiveness to incretin-based therapies
- Assessing emerging therapeutic strategies targeting cortisol synthesis, metabolism, and action to enhance weight loss, improve metabolic health, and preserve muscle mass
10:00 am Disrupting Obesity Treatment with Precision GIP Antagonism for More Tolerable, Durable Weight Management
- Exploring the biology of GIP to uncover a differentiated pathway to durable weight loss and long-term cardiometabolic benefit
- Addressing the tolerability and adherence challenges of current obesity therapies through highly specific GIP antagonism
- Shifting the focus from short-term weight loss to sustained disease management with lasting clinical impact
10:30 am Morning Break & Networking
Expanding the Obesity Therapeutic Toolkit Beyond Appetite Suppression to Deliver Durable Metabolic Benefits
11:00 am Development of MW101, a Novel Adipose-Targeted siRNA, for the Treatment of Obesity
- Developing first-in-class, adipose-targeted RNA therapies that address the biology of obesity beyond appetite suppression
- MW101 demonstrates robust pharmacology in non-human primates and efficacy across preclinical models, supporting the potential for healthier weight loss outcomes
- Data supports exploring the opportunity for adipose-directed siRNA therapies to complement GLP-1s through distinct mechanisms of action while also serving as standalone treatment options for select patient populations
11:30 am Redefining Obesity Treatment: Unlocking a Unique Mechanism Providing Systemic Efficacy Without Systemic Drug Exposure
- Leveraging the skin as a neuro-immuno-endocrine organ to activate systemic metabolic pathways and increase energy expenditure through a first-in-class therapeutic approach
- Differentiating from traditional obesity therapies by targeting fat metabolism directly rather than suppressing appetite, creating potential opportunities both as a standalone and combination treatment strategy
- Initiating Phase 2 GDD3898, highlighting the scientific rationale, translational data, and potential to deliver meaningful weight loss while preserving metabolic health
12:00 pm Targeting Hibernation Biology to Deliver Fat-Specific Weight Loss & Redefine Cardiometabolic Disease Management
- Targeting Rexinoid Nuclear Receptor Signaling prevents adipose accumulation, improves insulin sensitivity, and drives selective fat loss without reducing food intake
- Demonstrates how adipose-focused therapies could address key limitations of GLP- 1s and offer a longer-term solution to restoring healthy metabolism
- Exploring the potential for durable improvements in obesity, type 2 diabetes, and liver health through enhanced basal metabolism
12:30 pm Lunch Break & Networking
1:30 pm Unlocking Safe Adipocyte Energy Expenditure to Deliver Additional Weight Loss & Metabolic Benefits Beyond GLP-1s
- Identifying first-in-class adipocyte targets at scale using an in vivo discovery platform designed to uncover mechanisms that drive weight loss beyond GLP-1 therapy
- Enhancing efficacy without compromising safety by targeting energy expenditure pathways in adipose tissue rather than traditional approaches associated with systemic safety concerns
- Delivering broader metabolic improvements including enhanced insulin sensitivity and lipid regulation, creating new opportunities for patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes who need more than weight loss alone
Unlocking Novel Therapeutic Platforms & Precision Mechanisms to Expand the Future of Obesity Treatment
2:00 pm Unlocking the Next Generation of Therapies with srRNA by Combining Molecules, Extending Half-Life, & Improving Tolerability
- Combining multiple molecules can enable new approaches to multi-mechanism treatment
- Extending half-life can move shorter-acting molecules towards longer dosing intervals and potentially monthly dosing
- Improving drug exposure profiles can reduce fluctuations; this could potentially drive improvements to tolerability
2:30 pm Moving Beyond Satiety: Tackling Obesity by Directly Targeting the Neural Drivers of Hunger
- Uncovering the role of CLIC1 in the hypothalamus as a key regulator of appetite and energy balance
- Demonstrating preclinical weight loss efficacy comparable to, or exceeding, GLP-1 therapies through selective suppression of hunger signaling
- Advancing an oral small molecule approach that avoids the gastrointestinal side effects associated with current incretin therapies