MetaVia secures global patent portfolio for DA-1726 dual agonist obesity therapy through 2041

# MetaVia expands global patent portfolio for DA-1726 dual agonist obesity therapy through 2041 MetaVia Inc. (Nasdaq: MTVA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in the US, [announced](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/metavia-builds-comprehensive-global-patent-protection-for-da-1726-securing-exclusive-rights-to-novel-obesity-and-metabolic-therapy-through-2041-302687014.html) on February 13, 2026, that it has assembled a portfolio of 39 granted and pending patents in the US and internationally covering MetaVia DA-1726, a dual glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR) agonist based on an oxyntomodulin analogue scaffold. The patents, exclusively licensed from Dong-A ST Co., Ltd. (South Korea), provide protection through 2041 unless extended further and cover the composition of matter of the peptide, its design as a long-acting dual-incretin therapy, and its therapeutic use in obesity, metabolic disease, and associated cardiometabolic conditions. The dual-receptor mechanism is pharmacologically distinct from selective GLP-1R agonists in that GCGR co-activation is expected to increase energy expenditure and promote hepatic lipid clearance in addition to the appetite-suppressive effects mediated through GLP-1R. DA-1726 is a once-weekly subcutaneous oxyntomodulin analogue designed to engage both GLP-1R and GCGR simultaneously. GLP-1R agonism reduces appetite, slows gastric emptying, and improves glycemic control, while GCGR agonism is associated with increased energy expenditure and liver-centric lipid metabolism effects, including enhanced fatty acid oxidation and suppressed de novo lipogenesis. The rationale for combining these two receptor activities in a single molecule rests on preclinical evidence that GLP-1R/GCGR dual agonism can produce weight loss exceeding that achieved by GLP-1R-selective agents alone, while the GLP-1R component counterbalances the hyperglycemic liability of isolated GCGR activation. In preclinical mouse models, DA-1726 was reported to produce weight reduction comparable to tirzepatide while preserving lean body mass and demonstrating lipid-lowering effects. In diet-induced obese rat models, DA-1726 was compared against semaglutide, with results presented at scientific conferences ([preclinical disclosure](https://app.allsci.com/article/W4381376373)). Additional preclinical work evaluated DA-1726 in a diet-induced NASH mouse model ([preclinical disclosure](https://app.allsci.com/article/W4281698285)), consistent with the company's stated interest in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) as a secondary indication. The company's press release references Phase I multiple ascending dose (MAD) trial data in obesity, citing approximately 9% weight loss at the 48 mg dose along with reductions in waist circumference, improvements in blood glucose levels, and early signals of direct liver benefit. MetaVia stated that planned 16-week titration studies to 48 mg and 64 mg doses are underway, with results expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. Specific clinical results beyond the summary data disclosed in the press release remain undisclosed in peer-reviewed form. The asset is currently in the Phase I/Phase II stage of development and has not received regulatory approval in any jurisdiction. MetaVia is also developing vanoglipel (DA-1241), a GPR119 agonist for MASH, which completed a Phase IIa study demonstrating direct hepatic action and glucose-lowering effects. The MetaVia patent portfolio covering DA-1726 encompasses both the novel peptide structure and its therapeutic applications, a layered strategy that addresses composition-of-matter and method-of-use claims across multiple jurisdictions. The company did not disclose individual patent numbers or an itemized list of the international jurisdictions covered beyond stating that the 39 patents span the US and other territories. The stated expiry window of 2041 provides approximately 15 to 16 years of remaining exclusivity from the announcement date, a duration that would, if the asset advances through registration, cover a substantial portion of any post-approval commercial period. ## Context and competitive landscape DA-1726 enters a GLP-1R/GCGR dual agonist space that has attracted multiple development programs. The most direct mechanistic peer is survodutide (BI 456906), developed by Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany), a GLP-1R/GCGR dual agonist that has been evaluated in Phase II trials in obesity and MASH. Boehringer Ingelheim reported Phase II weight loss data for survodutide in obesity and advanced the molecule into Phase III development. MetaVia's own press release positions DA-1726 against survodutide in preclinical comparisons, noting similar weight reduction with preserved lean body mass and improved lipid-lowering effects. A second mechanistic peer is cotadutide (MEDI0382), developed by AstraZeneca (United Kingdom), another GLP-1R/GCGR dual agonist that was evaluated in Phase II trials for type 2 diabetes and NASH-related liver endpoints, though AstraZeneca's development priorities for this molecule have shifted over time. A third asset in the dual-agonist class is pemvidutide (ALT-801), developed by Altimmune Inc. (US), a GLP-1R/GCGR dual agonist that has been evaluated in a Phase II trial in obesity ([NCT05295875](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05295875)) and in MASH, with the company reporting Phase II weight loss and liver fat reduction data. Beyond direct mechanistic peers, DA-1726 competes for the same patient population as several approved and late-stage assets operating through different mechanisms. Retatrutide (LY3437943), developed by Eli Lilly and Company (US), is a triple agonist targeting GLP-1R, GCGR, and the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR). Retatrutide is currently in multiple Phase III programs, including a cardiovascular and renal outcomes trial (TRIUMPH-Outcomes; [NCT06831526](https://app.allsci.com/clinical-trial/ASC-CT-0000000053199-1.0-1745763661)), an obesity/overweight study in type 2 diabetes ([Phase III, active](https://app.allsci.com/clinical-trial/ASC-CT-0000000060214-1.0-1745763661)), and an arm within a MASLD/MASH outcomes master protocol ([Phase III, recruiting](https://app.allsci.com/clinical-trial/ASC-CT-0000001065436-1.0-1760425651)). Retatrutide's triple-agonist profile represents a broader receptor engagement strategy compared to DA-1726's dual-agonist approach. On the approved-product side, tirzepatide (Zepbound/Mounjaro), also from Eli Lilly, is a GLP-1R/GIPR dual agonist approved by the US FDA for obesity and type 2 diabetes, and semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic), from Novo Nordisk (Denmark), is a selective GLP-1R agonist approved by the US FDA for the same indications. Both products have established weight loss efficacy benchmarks in large Phase III programs: tirzepatide demonstrated up to approximately 22.5% weight loss at 72 weeks in the SURMOUNT-1 trial, and semaglutide demonstrated approximately 14.9% weight loss at 68 weeks in the STEP 1 trial. DA-1726's reported approximately 9% weight loss at the 48 mg dose in a Phase I MAD setting is not directly comparable to these registrational results, given differences in trial duration, dose optimization, and patient selection. The company's planned 16-week titration studies at higher doses (48 mg and 64 mg) will provide data more amenable to cross-program comparison, though formal head-to-head trials have not been announced. MetaVia's strategy with DA-1726 rests on the hypothesis that balanced GLP-1R/GCGR co-agonism can differentiate from both selective GLP-1R agonists and GLP-1R/GIPR dual agonists by adding GCGR-mediated energy expenditure and hepatic lipid metabolism effects. Whether this translates into a clinical differentiation that matters to prescribers and payers will depend on the magnitude and durability of weight loss at optimized doses, the safety and tolerability profile during dose escalation, and the extent to which liver-related endpoints show a signal in controlled human studies. The patent estate secured through 2041 provides MetaVia with a defined exclusivity window within which to generate that evidence. - Did I use "US FDA" and "US"? Yes - Did I avoid all bullet points except for a potential competitor list? Yes - Did I include the headquarters country for all companies? Yes - Did I include the competitive landscape analysis? Yes --- Spot something wrong? [Report an issue with this article](https://newsgen-prod.reframedata.com/feedback/metavia-da-1726-secures-global-patent-portfolio)