OliX Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that the Company presented its latest study data from preclinical studies identifying synergistic effects in weight loss when using its non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) treatment candidate OLX702A in combination with semaglutide. The data was presented at TIDES USA 2023, an international conference dedicated to oligonucleotide and peptide therapeutics, held in San Diego, California, on May 7-10. During the conference's poster session, OliX revealed preclinical study results of OLX702A, addressing key mechanisms involved in NASH and obesity.

The Company's NASH with fibrosis /Obesity program derives from a robust target discovered from a genome-wide association study (GWAS), a research approach to identifying genomic variants involving a large group of people. According to the OliX's presentation, the Company had seen synergistic effects when OLX702A was administered in combination with semagluteide, an anti-obesity drug imitating glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone that helps people feel satiated. The combination data demonstrated an additional 10% reduction in weight compared to administering semaglutide alone.

Metabolic analysis suggests that the weight loss caused by OLX702A treatment is due to the increase in energy expenditure, which is distinct from incretin-based anti-obesity drugs like semaglutide. In addition, the Company presented data showing the efficacy of reversing liver fibrosis and inducing the reduction of liver fat content.