At a Glance:
- TUL and Novo Nordisk announced promising Chinese phase 2 topline results for UBT251 triple agonist.
- Trial delivered up to 19.7% mean weight loss after 24 weeks versus 2% on placebo.
- All doses showed significant metabolic improvements with a favorable safety profile.
- Phase 3 in China and global trials advance toward regulatory milestones.
Written By: Pharmacally Medical News Desk
In a promising step forward for obesity treatments, The United Laboratories International Holdings Limited (TUL) and Novo Nordisk A/S announced positive topline results from a Chinese phase 2 trial of UBT251 (NCT07177469), a novel triple agonist targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors.
This once-weekly injectable drug, jointly developed under a March 2025 licensing agreement, showed substantial weight loss and metabolic benefits in Chinese patients with overweight or obesity, with a safety profile consistent with similar incretin-based therapies.
Chinese Trial
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 205 Chinese adults with obesity (BMI ≥28 kg/m²) or overweight (24-28 kg/m²) plus at least one weight-related comorbidity.
Participants had a baseline mean body weight of 92.2 kg and BMI of 33.1 kg/m². They received weekly subcutaneous doses of UBT251 (2 mg, 4 mg, or 6 mg) or placebo for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint, percent change in body weight hit a high note with the top dose yielding 19.7% mean weight loss (-17.5 kg) versus just 2.0% (-1.6 kg) on placebo.
Beyond weight, UBT251 drove statistically significant improvements across key secondary endpoints versus placebo, including reductions in waist circumference, blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipids.
These gains highlight the drug’s multi-receptor action: GLP-1 and GIP enhance insulin secretion and appetite control (as seen in drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide), while glucagon boosts energy expenditure and fat metabolism potentially offering a more comprehensive approach to obesity than dual agonists.
Safety Profile
Safety data were encouraging, with gastrointestinal events (like nausea or diarrhea) as the most common side effects; mostly mild to moderate and fading over time, mirroring class effects of GLP-1 therapies. No new safety signals emerged.
TUL’s Chairman Tsoi Hoi Shan celebrated the trial as a key innovation milestone, reaffirming commitment to chronic diseases like endocrine/metabolic disorders, with plans to fast-track UBT251 for global patient access.
Novo Nordisk’s Executive VP and CSO Martin Holst Lange expressed strong encouragement over the Chinese trial data, highlighting UBT251’s promising efficacy, unique clinical profile, and favorable safety/tolerability; anticipates sharing global trial results next year.
Next Plan
United Biotechnology (TUL’s R&D arm) will present full data at a medical congress this year and plans a phase 3 trial in China for overweight/obese patients.
Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk leads global efforts, having started a phase 1b/2a trial in ~330 overweight/obese adults (topline data expected 2027) and eyeing a phase 2 in type 2 diabetes for late 2026.
Under their deal, United Biotechnology handles Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan; Novo Nordisk covers the rest of the world.
UBT251 builds on the GLP-1/GIP success of blockbusters like Ozempic and Mounjaro, adding glucagon for potentially greater efficacy. As obesity rates climb globally, these results could expand options, especially in Asia where BMI criteria differ from Western standards.
Reference
Novo Nordisk: Triple agonist UBT251 delivers up to 19.7% mean weight loss after 24 weeks in phase 2 trial in China, 24 February 2026, News Details
UBT251 Injection Phase II Study (Overweight or Obesity), ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT07177469, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07177469