Important Progress in GLP-1 Agonists: Once-Yearly Semaglutide Implant
Publish Time:
2025-08-21
On August 6, 2025, Vivani Medical, a biopharmaceutical company based in California, USA (Nasdaq stock code: VANI), announced two significant advancements, injecting new vitality into its innovative development in the field of chronic disease treatment.
Successful Completion of Clinical Study for Exenatide Implant
Vivani Medical's first human clinical study using NanoPortal™ technology, LIBERATE-1, was successfully completed. This study focused on the NPM-115 exenatide implant. The results showed that the NPM-115 implant demonstrated good safety and tolerability during the trial, with overall satisfactory performance. During the 9-week observation period, the implant did not cause any serious adverse events, pharmacokinetic analysis was positive without clinically significant burst release, and implanted subjects did not report gastrointestinal adverse events. This achievement not only provides a solid foundation for further research on the NPM-115 exenatide implant but also strongly validates the reliability of NanoPortal™ technology, paving the way for the development of higher-dose products. Exenatide, used to treat type 2 diabetes, is marketed by AstraZeneca under the brands Byetta and Bydureon BCise. Vivani Medical's research results are expected to offer new treatment options for diabetes patients.
Significant Preclinical Research Results for Semaglutide Implant
In the preclinical study of the NPM-139 semaglutide implant, Vivani Medical achieved remarkable results. Data showed that a single implantation of the NPM-139 semaglutide implant could maintain approximately 20% weight loss for over 6 months. This significant weight reduction effect indicates the potential for NPM-139 semaglutide implant to be administered once yearly. Novo Nordisk's blockbuster drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus all contain semaglutide as the active ingredient and have achieved great success in the global market. Vivani Medical's preclinical research results are expected to provide more convenient and effective treatment options for patients with obesity and related chronic diseases.
Based on the above two positive research results, Vivani Medical has decided to prioritize the NPM-139 project and plans to initiate clinical trials in 2026. This strategic adjustment is mainly based on several considerations: first, the development cycles of NPM-139 and NPM-115 are similar, allowing the company to allocate resources more effectively; second, semaglutide has been fully validated in human clinical trials for its significant weight loss effect, providing strong clinical evidence for the development of NPM-139; third, related semaglutide products achieved global sales exceeding 29 billion USD in 2024, with the market showing continuous growth, indicating huge market potential in this field.
Evaluation by Guangzhou Congen Pharmatec Co.,Ltd. (CongenPharma), a drug peptide R&D and manufacturing company:
Vivani Medical, as a biotech company focused on utilizing the NanoPortal™ micro long-acting implant platform, has unique advantages with its NanoPortal™ platform. This platform enables long-term stable drug release, greatly reducing the frequency of medication for patients. For chronic disease patients, this not only improves treatment adherence but also effectively enhances treatment outcomes. Against the backdrop of a growing number of chronic disease patients, Vivani Medical's innovative technology is expected to play an important role in chronic disease management, bringing benefits to patients worldwide. With the accelerated advancement of the NPM-139 project and the company's continuous investment in R&D, Vivani Medical's future development prospects are promising.
