BioAge is pleased to announce the initiation of the STRIDES Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating azelaprag, an oral exercise mimetic, for the treatment of obesity. Azelaprag has the potential to increase weight loss while improving body composition when combined with an incretin drug.
The STRIDES trial, conducted in collaboration with Lilly and Lilly Chorus, will evaluate the combination of azelaprag with tirzepatide, with a primary endpoint of weight loss at 24 weeks.
This trial represents an important milestone in our mission to develop novel therapies for metabolic diseases by targeting the biology of aging.
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Keep reading for more details about this exciting development:
• Enhancing the efficacy of incretin therapy with an oral exercise mimetic:
STRIDES aims to show that azelaprag can significantly increase weight loss in patients taking incretin drugs. Azelaprag is an oral, small molecule agonist of the apelin receptor designed to mimic key biological effects of exercise. Beyond weight loss, the STRIDES trial will evaluate whether azelaprag can improve body composition and measures of metabolic health and function.
• Synergistic approach to weight management, analogous to diet and exercise:
By combining azelaprag, an exercise mimetic, with tirzepatide, which reduces food intake, we aim to create a pharmacological parallel to the diet+exercise foundation of traditional obesity interventions.
• Enabling all-oral regimens for healthy weight loss:
As an orally available, well tolerated small molecule, azelaprag aligns with patient preferences (77% of patients strongly prefer the convenience of oral meds over injectables). In the future, azelaprag has the potential to be combined with oral incretins currently in development into all-oral regimens for healthy weight loss.
• Reaching a key patient demographic, older adults:
STRIDES will focus on individuals 55 and older, who represent 35-40% of obese adults in the US, and can be especially vulnerable to the health impacts of obesity. This trial represents a key step in our broader strategy to target the biology of aging to treat metabolic diseases.
