Oneness Biotech Advances SNS851 Obesity Drug Candidate to Multiple-Ascending Dose Phase I Trial
Oneness Biotech (TW: 4743) has completed the single-ascending dose (SAD) portion of its Phase I clinical trial of SNS851, an investigational small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapy for obesity-associated metabolic diseases, and will proceed to multiple-ascending dose (MAD) evaluation in participants with fatty liver disease. Data from the next stage are expected in the first quarter of 2027, according to a company press release dated September 29.
In the SAD portion, involving 32 healthy volunteers, SNS851 demonstrated a dose-related pharmacokinetic profile, with systemic exposure increasing approximately proportionally across the tested dose range. One serious adverse event, a foot fracture, was reported and considered unrelated to treatment.
SNS851 is designed to silence an undisclosed gene affecting liver mitochondrial activity and energy expenditure. Unlike GLP-1-based therapies, which primarily promote weight loss through appetite suppression, SNS851 targets energy metabolism.
“We have completed the first-in-human single-ascending dose portion of our Phase I trial and advanced SNS851 to multiple-ascending dose evaluation to further expand the dataset,” said Shuling Cheng, CEO of Oneness (USA) Biotech. She added that the company is engaging potential strategic partners to support global development of SNS851 as both a standalone treatment and a complement to GLP-1 therapies.
According to the company, preclinical animal studies showed that SNS851 lowered blood glucose and HbA1c, improved insulin sensitivity, reduced liver fat, and prevented weight gain while preserving muscle mass. Separate studies found that combining SNS851 with a GLP-1 therapy at a 50% reduced dose enhanced weight loss and metabolic effects compared with either treatment alone. The combination also demonstrated more sustained weight loss after treatment discontinuation than GLP-1 monotherapy.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase I trial is designed to evaluate SNS851’s safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity. The MAD portion will also explore its effects on liver fat and metabolic markers in participants with fatty liver disease.