Caliway Biopharmaceuticals reports fat reduction with CBL-514

Caliway Biopharmaceuticals has presented Phase II clinical trial data for its drug candidate CBL-514 at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting in Milan. The candidate utilizes a pharmacological approach designed to induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in fat cells rather than simply reducing their volume.

Data from two Phase II studies, CBL-0204 and CBL-0205, utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure changes in visceral and subcutaneous tissue. In a subgroup of 41 participants with a BMI between 22 and 30 kg/m², those receiving up to 600 mg of CBL-514 every three weeks showed a significant reduction in visceral fat compared to a placebo group.

At the 8 to 12-week follow-up, the study reported a 63 ml reduction in visceral fat for the CBL-514 group, while the placebo group saw an increase of 78 ml. This resulted in a total difference of 141 ml (22.21%) between the two groups. The company also noted measurable effects in subcutaneous fat, though data for that specific area remains more limited.