CORXEL expands its cardiometabolic drug development program to include obesity and diabetes treatments.

NEW JERSEY and SHANGHAI, Dec. 23, 2024 — Corxel Pharmaceuticals (CORXEL), a leading biotech company dedicated to providing innovative treatments for underserved patients with cardiometabolic diseases globally, announced today the acquisition of CX11 (also known as VCT220), an oral small molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), from Vincentage for worldwide development and commercialization (excluding Greater China).

CX11 is an experimental oral small molecule GLP-1 RA for treating cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 RAs have demonstrated effectiveness in lowering body weight, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing glucose levels and overall appetite. The once-daily oral formulation of CX11 offers potential benefits in terms of patient convenience, accessibility, and reduced manufacturing costs compared to injectable alternatives. In a Phase 2 clinical trial in China, CX11 showed competitive weight loss results with a favorable safety profile. A Phase 3 registration study in obese and overweight patients in China began in November 2024. CORXEL plans to initiate a global Phase 2 study (excluding Greater China) in obese and overweight patients in 2025.

“Obesity has become a significant risk factor for numerous chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke—leading causes of death worldwide. This acquisition marks CORXEL’s expansion into the obesity and diabetes treatment areas, and we are enthusiastic about the potential of CX11, which has shown impressive weight loss efficacy, positioning it as a potential leading oral small molecule GLP-1 RA,” stated Sandy Mou, Board Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of CORXEL. “Since its inception, CORXEL has demonstrated strong capabilities in asset selection, clinical development, registration, and manufacturing partnerships for innovative medicines. Our global team is fully committed to developing CX11 with high quality and efficiency, enabling CORXEL to capitalize on the substantial global obesity market.”

“We are pleased that CORXEL will be advancing the global development of VCT220 (CX11). CORXEL possesses robust clinical development capabilities and global marketing strengths. We anticipate CORXEL will accelerate clinical trials and bring this innovative oral GLP-1 molecule to patients worldwide,” said Ben Li, Chief Executive Officer of Vincentage.

About CORXEL 

CORXEL is a leading biotech company headquartered in the US and China, focusing on developing innovative cardiometabolic therapies globally. Founded in 2019, CORXEL is dedicated to delivering innovative science and medicines to underserved patients worldwide. With a robust and growing pipeline of assets, industry-leading expertise, and a patient-centric approach, CORXEL is committed to making a substantial and lasting impact on patients’ lives.

CORXEL’s portfolio includes three assets with global rights and two assets with Greater China rights in late-stage clinical development. The globally-licensed portfolio comprises CX11 for obesity and diabetes, JX10 for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), and JX09 for hypertension; the Greater China portfolio includes Etripamil and LNZ100.  

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About Vincentage 

Vincentage is a clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing novel small molecule drugs for metabolic diseases. The company has developed innovative small molecule drugs targeting various mechanisms and targets for metabolic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASH).