Fresh from a merger with oncology drugmaker Lisata Therapeutics, cardiometabolic biotech Marea Therapeutics has revealed results from the first part of a phase 2b study showing its drug candidate MAR001 significantly reduced levels of fat in the blood of patients with hypertriglyceridemia.
Now a subsidiary of Lisata following a September acquisition, Marea announced that its angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4)-targeting monoclonal antibody lowered triglycerides by 72.2% in patients whose levels were at or above 500 mg/dL. Patients with levels at or above 300 mg/dL saw a 57.2% reduction, according to a Nov. 9 release.
More than half of the 235 adult patients on MAR001 reached normal triglyceride levels compared with just 3.4% on placebo. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 69.5% of MAR001-treated patients, slightly below the 77.6% rate for the placebo cohort—which was paralleled in the serious adverse event rates of 2.8% vs. 6.9%, respectively.
“We think this data is very exciting and encouraging toward establishing a profile that could be potentially best-in-disease and certainly an optimal treatment for these patients who have this double threat of pancreatitis and heart attack and cardiovascular risk,” Marea CEO Josh Lehrer, M.D., told Fierce in an interview.
“We have a lot of confidence that this target, informed by biology and genetics, should be the most likely to have a clean profile and not worsen metabolic endpoints,” added Lehrer, who is now also chief operating officer at Lisata.
The company has begun the second part of the mid-stage study, which pits MAR001 against placebo in 100 patients. Marea also has a half-life-extended version of the antibody, called MAR005, which it plans to take into a phase 3 study in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia. Then there's a candidate named MAR002 in the early-stage clinic for patients with the hormonal disorder acromegaly.
Lehrer pointed to the potential for Marea's pipeline to address obesity, riding the wave of megablockbuster GLP-1s that have become an industry favorite. But the company is taking it one step at a time, he said. GLP-1s and statins have a modest effect on triglycerides, Lehrer said, but fall short of keeping patients out of the risk range for pancreatitis.
“As a small company, you have to be focused, so what's right in front of us is an opportunity to address these patients who are at risk of pancreatitis, potentially with an advantage over other therapies,” said Lehrer, noting that improvements in body composition in addition to weight loss could go a long way in the obesity market.
The takeover of Marea took place amid the ashes of Lisata’s falling out with Kuva Labs, leading Lisata to lay off almost three-quarters of its workforce, including its chief medical officer. Kuva had planned to purchase Lisata since 2024.
The resulting merger with Marea included a stock-for-stock deal and a commitment from Marea backers Forbion, venBio and Third Rock Ventures to the tune of $225 million.