Eccogene gets $50M as AstraZeneca starts elecoglipron Phase 3

Eccogene said it has received a $50 million payment from AstraZeneca after the larger drugmaker started the global Phase 3 program for elecoglipron, an experimental once-daily GLP-1 pill discovered by Eccogene. The drug is being tested for obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes.

Elecoglipron is a small-molecule tablet designed to be taken once daily without food- or water-related restrictions. The Embold studies cover people with obesity or overweight, with or without type 2 diabetes. Eluminate will evaluate the drug alone and alongside dapagliflozin in people with type 2 diabetes.

This isn’t a financing round. Eccogene licensed AstraZeneca exclusive rights outside Greater China in 2023 while retaining co-development and co-commercialization rights within the region. The contract provided $185 million upfront and up to $1.825 billion in clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones, including $110 million now received, plus royalties. Eccogene says total receipts under the collaboration have reached $295 million.

The contract also divides development costs. Eccogene’s Hong Kong listing application says it bears 4.5% of shared expenses in AstraZeneca’s territory, while AstraZeneca covers 95.5%. For agreed projects in Greater China, the balance shifts to 51% for Eccogene and 49% for AstraZeneca.

The late-stage program follows two company-reported Phase 2b results. AstraZeneca said participants following one 75-milligram regimen as directed lost an average 11.8% of their body weight after 36 weeks, compared with 0.3% for placebo. In a diabetes study, one 75-milligram regimen reduced average HbA1c by 1.9% after 26 weeks, versus 0.2% for placebo.

Phase 3 reaches beyond weight loss and blood-sugar control. Two Elevate outcome trials will evaluate elecoglipron in people with certain forms of heart failure or chronic kidney disease while they receive dapagliflozin and other standard care.