Insilico Medicine Advances AI-Designed Obesity Drug ISM0676 and Deepens Cardiometabolic Focus

New updates have been reported about Insilico Medicine.

Insilico Medicine has nominated ISM0676, an AI-designed, orally available GIPR antagonist, as a preclinical candidate for obesity and related metabolic diseases, positioning the newly listed Hong Kong biotech more firmly in the high‑growth cardiometabolic segment. Generated via the company’s Chemistry42 and Pharma.AI platforms in just 14 months with under 200 synthesized molecules, ISM0676 is intended both as monotherapy and in combination with GLP‑1 therapies, targeting obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and potentially obesity‑linked cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure. In preclinical studies, ISM0676 produced a 10.4% body weight reduction over 27 days in diet‑induced obese humanized GIPR mice versus weight gain in controls, and when combined with semaglutide, drove body weight loss of up to 31.3%, while improving body composition and maintaining a higher lean mass ratio. The candidate also demonstrated strong in vivo metabolic stability, low drug‑drug interaction risk, a favorable safety profile, and a low predicted human efficacious dose, supporting its progression toward clinical development in a global obesity therapeutics market projected to exceed USD 60 billion by 2030.

Management describes cardiometabolic disease as a core strategic pillar, with ISM0676 further diversifying Insilico’s AI‑generated pipeline that spans fibrosis, oncology, immunology, pain, and metabolic disorders. Founder and CEO Alex Zhavoronkov and Co‑CEO/CSO Feng Ren frame the program as evidence that generative AI can rapidly deliver differentiated small molecules against both novel and validated targets, with potential to improve chronic disease management and healthspan. In parallel, Insilico is reinforcing this strategy through external partnerships: in January 2026 it signed a USD 66 million co‑development deal with Hygtia Therapeutics to accelerate ISM8969, a brain‑penetrant NLRP3 inhibitor at the intersection of inflammation and metabolism, and a separate cardiometabolic small‑molecule collaboration with Qilu Pharmaceutical with total deal value near USD 120 million. These moves, following Insilico’s December 2025 listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (03696.HK), signal a coordinated push to convert its AI and automation platform into a portfolio of clinically and commercially relevant cardiometabolic assets with combination potential alongside leading GLP‑1 agents.