Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma Advance to Phase 2 Clinical Testing in NASH and Obesity
13.4.2021 15:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma A/S (“Zealand”) (NASDAQ: ZEAL) announced the initiation of two Phase 2 trials of the GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist BI 456906 for adults who are overweight or obese and for adults with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The compound was in-licensed from Zealand in 2011 and is being investigated in an ongoing Phase 2 study in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The once-weekly therapy may offer additional benefits on both chronic weight management, and NASH improvement and prevention of the progression to cirrhosis compared to currently available treatments with mono GLP-1 agonist compounds. BI 456906 is part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s growing portfolio in the obesity and NASH disease areas.
“Obesity and NASH are areas of high unmet medical need, with limited approved treatments currently available. They are associated with lower quality of life and increased mortality,” explains Prof. Arun J. Sanyal, Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Molecular Pathology at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. “I hope that this new approach will bring a much-needed treatment option for HCPs and people afflicted with obesity or NASH.”
Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand have a fruitful longstanding partnership, bringing together Zealand’s expertise in the discovery of innovative peptide-based medicines with Boehringer Ingelheim’s expertise in the research and development of novel medicines for cardiometabolic diseases. “We are very excited to see the initiation of Phase 2 trials of BI 456906 for obesity and NASH,” said Adam Steensberg, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Zealand Pharma. “By combining GLP-1 and glucagon agonism mechanistically, we believe our dual agonist has the potential to achieve increased weight loss, via improvement of the patient’s metabolism, and also has potential to alleviate NASH by reducing upstream steatosis.”
“Our cardiometabolic research and development is focusing on discovering novel treatments for obesity and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), to meet the large unmet need among these groups,” explains Waheed Jamal, MD, Head of Cardiovascular, Metabolic and Respiratory Medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim. “We are exploring a number of unique approaches with great potential to help people living with obesity or NASH. We believe dual agonists are next generation drug candidates with a potential for higher efficacy in weight loss and NASH improvement/cirrhosis prevention.”
Under the terms of the GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist licensing agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim funds all research, development and commercialization activities. Zealand is entitled to receive up to EUR 345 million in outstanding milestone payments. No milestone payments are due with the initiations of these Phase 2 studies. The agreement also carries high-single digit to low-double digit percentage royalties on global sales.
Please click on the following link for ‘Notes to Editors’ and ‘References’:
http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/clinical-phase2-trials-nash-and-obesity
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210413005636/en/
Contact information
Boehringer Ingelheim
Dr. Birgit Leimer
Product Communications Manager
Boehringer Ingelheim Corporate Center GmbH
Media + PR
E-Mail: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Zealand Pharma
David Rosen
Argot Partners
E-Mail: media@zealandpharma.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Hisense Delivers 38% Sales Uplift in Western Europe Markets With NIQ’s AI-Powered Market Intelligence6.5.2026 06:00:00 EEST | Press release
NIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today shared new learnings from its long-standing collaboration with Hisense, a leading global brand in home appliances and smart technologies. Using NIQ’s AI‑powered market intelligence, Hisense has accelerated international expansion, improved local market decision-making, and delivered measurable growth across more than 20 key markets and 12+ categories. The case study demonstrates how AI‑driven insights help global brands move faster, localize better, and compete more effectively in complex markets. The Challenge As Hisense expanded internationally, it faced rising complexity across global markets. Consumer preferences differed sharply across regions such as Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, making a one‑size‑fits‑all approach ineffective. NIQ’s AI‑powered intelligence delivered the local market depth needed to guide investment, refine product positioning, and identify the features that mattered most in eac
Megaport Launches Built-In DDoS Protection Enabling On-Demand Network Resilience6.5.2026 01:00:00 EEST | Press release
Megaport Limited (ASX: MP1) (“Megaport”), a leading global automated infrastructure platform, today announced the launch of Megaport DDoS Protection. This new, built-in security capability for Megaport Internet allows customers to filter malicious traffic directly within the Megaport network rather than routing it through a separate or external service, for mission-critical uptime without introducing additional latency or routing complexity. As enterprises increasingly migrate to distributed cloud environments, traditional DDoS mitigation has struggled to keep pace with cloud and distributed infrastructure adoption. Standard ISP solutions often resort to dropping all traffic and taking the service offline to protect the network, while external third-party providers force a "security detour" that reroutes traffic through public infrastructure, introducing significant latency and complexity. Megaport DDoS Protection removes these challenges by integrating fabric-native protection directl
IFF Reports First Quarter 2026 Results5.5.2026 23:23:00 EEST | Press release
IFF (NYSE: IFF) reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. First Quarter 2026 Consolidated Summary: Management Commentary “IFF is off to a solid start in 2026, with first quarter results that reflect the customer focus and operational execution we’ve been building across the company,” said Erik Fyrwald, CEO of IFF. “We delivered volume growth in all four segments, improved profitability, and generated strong cash flow in the first quarter. As we look ahead, we are maintaining a disciplined approach to how we are planning the balance of the year as the current operating environment remains unsettled. We remained focused on advancing our commercial and innovation pipelines, driving productivity, and working with customers to offset inflation. This – when combined with our solid start to the year – derisks the balance of the year and gives us the confidence to reaffirm our full-year 2026 financial guidance ranges in an uncertain environment. At the same time, w
Logitech Announces Q4 and Full Fiscal Year 2026 Results5.5.2026 23:06:00 EEST | Press release
SIX Swiss Exchange Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR — Logitech International (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full Fiscal Year 2026. For Fiscal Year 2026: Sales were $4.84 billion, up 6 percent in US dollars and 4 percent in constant currency compared to the prior year. GAAP operating income was $775 million, up 18 percent compared to the prior year. Non-GAAP operating income was $911 million, up 18 percent compared to the prior year. GAAP earnings per share was $4.80, up 16 percent compared to the prior year. Non-GAAP EPS was $5.78, up 19 percent compared to the prior year. Cash flow from operations was $1.04 billion. The year-ending cash balance was $1.7 billion. The Company returned $768 million of cash to shareholders through its annual dividend payment and share repurchases. For Q4 Fiscal Year 2026: Sales were $1.09 billion, up 7 percent in US dollars and 3 percent in constant currency compared to Q4 of the prior yea
Sentinel Midstream Advances Texas GulfLink Deepwater Port5.5.2026 23:00:00 EEST | Press release
Sentinel Midstream LLC (Sentinel) today announced the commencement of its Texas GulfLink deepwater port (Texas GulfLink or the Project), marking a significant milestone enabled by funding received pursuant to the U.S.—Japan Trade Agreement. The project advances in coordination with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Government of Japan and reflects the shared commitment to strengthening global energy security and expanding U.S. export infrastructure. Sentinel will lead the development of Texas GulfLink, overseeing construction, commercial operations, and long-term management of the terminal. Funding provided under the U.S.—Japan Trade Agreement, pursuant to Executive Order 14345 signed on September 4, 2025, underscores continued international confidence in U.S. energy infrastructure and supports the expansion of American crude oil exports to global markets. Upon this commencement, Texas GulfLink will immediately begin construction of its deepwater crude oil export terminal, unlock
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom