Skye Bioscience Inc. (SKYE) provided new preclinical data using the proprietary human CB1 knock-in diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice model, showing higher-dose nimacimab could achieve a similar degree of weight loss compared to monlunabant and tirzepatide alone, writes John McCamant, editor of Medical Technology Stock Letter.
In addition, the combination of nimacimab and tirzepatide demonstrated an additive weight loss, supporting nimacimab’s potential both as a monotherapy and in combination with incretin-based therapies. The company also reported new in vitro studies which further characterize the unique binding properties of nimacimab, which could be advantageous in the presence of high concentration of endogenous CB1 ligands.
Skye Bioscience Inc. (SKYE)
These new preclinical data provide additional validation that nimacimab’s peripherally-restricted mechanism could drive robust weight loss. We also continue to believe that the safety/tolerability profile for nimacimab will be much better than the GLP-1s – and we may even see less GLP-1 side effects when they are combined with nimacimab.
In a murine diet-induced obesity (DIO) model, after 25 days of treatment, results demonstrated greater than 30% (31.5%) weight loss when nimacimab was combined with the dual GLP-1/GIP agonist, tirzepatide and nimacimab. Monotherapy demonstrated 23.5% weight loss, comparable to monlunabant and tirzepatide monotherapy.
SKYE conducted additional in vitro studies, further demonstrating the potential advantages of nimacimab’s non-competitive, allosteric binding to the CB1 receptor compared to small molecules, which need to compete with endogenous CB1 ligands for receptor engagement. In the presence of a high concentration of CB1 agonist, nimacimab’s binding potency was minimally impacted, in contrast to small molecules like monlunabant which Novartis paid over $1 billion to acquire.
Recommended Action: Buy SKYE.
