aibioMetaVia reports DA-1726 tissue distribution data in preclinical study
Tickers MTVA
A preclinical study found DA-1726-derived radioactivity concentrated in adipose tissue and retained over time, which MetaVia says supports the waist circumference reduction seen in clinical studies.
Key facts
- Company
- MetaVia Inc. (NASDAQ: MTVA)
- News type
- Company Updates
- Primary source
- MetaVia Inc. 8-K (2026-09-09)
MetaVia Inc. (Nasdaq: MTVA) said on September 9, 2026 that a preclinical tissue distribution study of DA-1726 showed that drug-derived radioactivity was slowly absorbed and extensively distributed throughout the body after subcutaneous administration. The highest tissue exposure was in adipose (fat) tissue. The release presents the findings as mechanistic support for the waist circumference reduction the company has reported in clinical studies.
What the study found
Tissue-to-plasma ratios increased over time, which the company says indicates prolonged retention of DA-1726-derived radioactivity in tissues relative to plasma. The greatest exposure outside the injection site occurred in abdominal, subcutaneous and brown fat, as well as in the liver. The study also showed prolonged retention in tissues through the final 144-hour assessment. The company says this is consistent with the prolonged pharmacokinetic profile that supports once-weekly dosing.
Only minimal radioactivity was detected in the central nervous system. The company says that is consistent with the limited brain penetration typically observed with peptide-based therapies.
The clinical link
In the Phase 1 study, participants who received the 48 mg dose achieved a mean reduction in waist circumference of 9.8 cm after only eight weeks of treatment, at Day 54, according to the release. Hyung Heon Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer of MetaVia, said the preferential distribution to adipose tissue "provides an important biological rationale that is consistent with these encouraging clinical findings." He added that the prolonged retention may help explain the excellent tolerability profile observed across the company's clinical studies to date.
Kim said the findings reinforce the company's confidence in DA-1726 as a next-generation obesity therapy.
About DA-1726
The release describes DA-1726 as a novel GLP1R and GCGR dual agonist for the treatment of obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH), designed to be administered once weekly under the skin. It describes DA-1726 as an oxyntomodulin analog. Oxyntomodulin is a naturally occurring gut hormone that activates both receptors, which the company says decreases food intake while increasing energy expenditure.
In preclinical mouse models, the company says DA-1726 produced improved weight loss compared with semaglutide. It also says DA-1726 elicited similar weight reduction, while consuming more food, compared with tirzepatide and survodutide, and preserved lean body mass. In the Phase 1 multiple ascending dose trial in obesity, the release says the 32 mg dose demonstrated best-in-class potential for weight loss, glucose control and waist reduction.
The annual report says the company dosed the first patient in the non-titrated 48 mg MAD cohort of its Phase 1 clinical trial in July 2025, and extended that cohort to eight weeks from four weeks. On January 5, 2026, the company announced topline data from the non-titrated 48 mg MAD cohort.
The annual report, filed March 26, 2026, describes the company as clinical-stage and focused primarily on cardiometabolic diseases. It also shows research and development expense of $6.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared with $21.6 million for 2024.
What the study does and does not show
A tissue distribution study shows where the drug goes, not whether it works. The release does not say which animal species was tested or give exposure numbers, and the claim that fat tissue exposure explains the waist reduction is the company's interpretation. "Excellent tolerability" is also the company's word. The annual report says the Phase 1 trial was first-in-human, set up to establish safety and tolerability, with efficacy only explored, and that the Part 3 titration studies aim to remove moderate adverse effects at the 48 mg dose level.
The company says patients in its ongoing 24-week dose-titration study continue at their highest achieved dose levels. It expects 16-week topline data in the fourth quarter of 2026 and 24-week topline results in the first quarter of 2027. The release says nothing about the company's cash.