Kailera Therapeutics’ triple-acting obesity drug generated double-digit weight loss in a China-based Phase 1 dosing study with partner Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. In the 12-week data set, investigators reported weight reductions of up to 16% in a small cohort receiving weekly dose escalation, according to Kailera. The result arrives as the company prepares its own Phase 1 trial outside China, with Hengrui advancing KAI-4729 into Phase 2. Kailera said the performance compares favorably with early public data from Eli Lilly’s “triple-G” agonist program at the 12-week time point. The work is part of a broader obesity-drug race dominated by GLP-1-based competitors, but Kailera’s KAI-4729 adds additional hormone activity designed to extend beyond GLP-1/GIP combinations. With a recent IPO funding plan already in motion, the next key readouts will be the transition from early tolerability/biomarker work to pivotal efficacy studies.