Marea Touts Phase 2 Lipid Disorder Win for MAR001

Clinical Results

Cardiometabolic biotech Marea Therapeutics, now a subsidiary of Lisata Therapeutics following a September acquisition, released data from the first part of a phase 2b study evaluating its drug candidate MAR001. According to the company, the angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4)-targeting monoclonal antibody reduced triglycerides by 72.2% in patients with levels at or above 500 mg/dL, and by 57.2% in those at or above 300 mg/dL. More than half of the 235 adult patients on MAR001 reached normal triglyceride levels, compared to 3.4% on placebo. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 69.5% of MAR001-treated patients, slightly below the 77.6% rate for the placebo cohort.

Pipeline and Future Plans

Marea CEO Josh Lehrer stated in an interview that the data is encouraging for establishing an optimal treatment for patients facing the dual threat of pancreatitis and cardiovascular risk. The company has already initiated the second part of the mid-stage study involving 100 patients, and plans to take a half-life-extended version called MAR005 into a phase 3 study for severe hypertriglyceridemia. Additionally, Marea is exploring the potential for its pipeline to address obesity and has a candidate named MAR002 in early-stage trials for acromegaly.

Background

The acquisition of Marea followed Lisata's failed deal with Kuva Labs, which resulted in significant workforce reductions. The subsequent merger with Marea involved a stock-for-stock transaction backed by a $225 million commitment from investors including Forbion, venBio, and Third Rock Ventures.