INLIGHT Phase 1 data continue to support WVE-007’s novel mechanism of action to improve body composition by inducing fat loss without muscle loss, and support a once- or twice-yearly dosing regimen
Six-month data from ongoing Phase 2a monotherapy trial in individuals with high BMI, high adiposity, and comorbidities anticipated in 2027
WVE-007/tirzepatide combination trial ongoing; Wave announces plan to integrate its maintenance clinical trial with this ongoing combination trial
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 13, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wave Life Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: WVE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on unlocking the broad potential of RNA medicines to transform human health, today highlights WVE-007 progress at ObesityWeek®, the annual congress of The Obesity Society, taking place in Washington, D.C. from November 14-17, 2026. WVE-007 is an investigational GalNac-siRNA developed with Wave’s proprietary chemistry to target fat metabolism through silencing INHBE mRNA.
“At this year’s ObesityWeek annual meeting, we will be connecting with the healthcare providers and broader community driving the future of obesity care, and we are eager to share how a body composition–focused approach could address the treatment gaps that exist today for individuals living with obesity,” said Christopher Wright, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Wave Life Sciences. “The Phase 1 single-dose portion of our INLIGHT clinical trial continues to demonstrate that WVE-007 impacts the desired biology with potent, durable Activin E reductions leading to body composition improvements and a favorable safety profile. We continue to advance our ongoing higher BMI Phase 2a monotherapy trial, which is evaluating WVE-007’s potential to expand the treatment landscape for obesity, particularly for individuals who need an alternative to incretins. We expect six-month follow-up data in 2027, which will include body composition measurements as well as liver fat changes that could accelerate development in MASH. In parallel, we are also investigating WVE-007 as a complementary approach to enhance fat loss with incretins, and as a post-incretin weight maintenance strategy. We look forward to engaging with the community and highlighting the progress of our INLIGHT™ clinical trial.”
ObesityWeek® presentations
Oral presentation:
Silencing Inhbe With a GalNAc-SpiNA siRNA Drives Tissue Remodeling and a Healthy Metabolic Profile (Saturday, November 14 – 4:30-4:45 p.m., Potomac D456, Ballroom Level)
Presenter: Ginnie (Hsiu-Chiung) Yang, PhD, SVP, Translational Medicine, Wave Life Sciences
Poster presentation:
Interim Data from INLIGHT: A Phase 1 Study of WVE-007 In Adults Living With Overweight and Obesity (Sunday, November 15 - 2:30-3:30 p.m., Poster # 435, Exhibit Hall BCD)
Presenter: Cynthia Caracta, MD, Executive Director of Development, Wave Life Sciences
Corporate symposium:
Rethinking success in the treatment of overweight and obesity through body composition: What are we made of? (Saturday, November 14 – 11:45am-1:15 p.m., Riverview Ballroom A)
Presenters:
Angela Fitch, MD, FACP, MFOMA, Dipl ABOM Board Trustee, Obesity Action Coalition; Past President, Obesity Medicine Association; Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, knownwell, Boston, MA
Mehmet Furkan Burak, MD, Co-Chair, Obesity Group, Endocrine Society, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Christopher Wright, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Wave Life Sciences
Erik Ingelsson, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Wave Life Sciences
This presentation will feature discussion on the current obesity treatment landscape and the potential for new therapeutic approaches to address key limitations of chronic weight management. The session includes discussion from leading clinicians on why improving body composition, including reducing harmful visceral fat while preserving lean mass, may serve as an important measure of meaningful change. Wave will also present an overview of the WVE-007 clinical program.
WVE-007 clinical program updates
The ongoing Phase 1 portion of the INLIGHT™ clinical trial is evaluating single doses of WVE-007 in otherwise healthy individuals living with overweight or obesity. WVE-007 continues to be generally safe and well tolerated, with no discontinuations, and no drug-related serious adverse events. There were no clinically meaningful changes in clinical laboratory measurements, including lipid profiles or liver function tests.
Individuals in the top three dose cohorts (240 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg) are being followed through the final 12-month assessment timepoint. To date, single-dose Activin E reductions are durable, dose-dependent, and consistently above therapeutic threshold, with mean maximums of 82%, 84%, and 88%, respectively. In the 240 mg cohort, for which all subjects have reached one year follow-up, single-dose placebo-adjusted mean Activin E reductions from baseline remained significant.
While Activin E reductions were consistent and deep across cohorts, both preclinical and Phase 1 clinical data continue to indicate baseline body composition (higher BMI, higher adiposity) is associated with greater therapeutic effects. The average baseline BMI in the Phase 1 study is 31.7 kg/m2 and continues to be lower than Phase 2 and 3 obesity trials.
In the 240 mg cohort, which had the highest baseline BMI, placebo-adjusted reductions in visceral fat, total fat, and waist circumference, with preservation of lean mass continued to be observed one year following a single dose. The 400 mg and 600 mg cohorts had lower baseline BMI. Data from the 600 mg cohort at six months was similar to previously-reported 400 mg data, with placebo-adjusted reductions in visceral fat and waist circumference and preservation of lean mass, while total fat remained relatively unchanged. Across the three cohorts, individuals with higher BMI and higher baseline adiposity continued to have a more pronounced treatment effect.
The Phase 2a portion of the INLIGHT™ trial in individuals with higher BMI (35-50 kg/m²) and higher baseline adiposity, with and without type 2 diabetes, is ongoing, evaluating multiple doses of the 240 mg and 400 mg dose levels of WVE-007. To date, baseline adiposity in this trial is substantially higher than in the Phase 1 portion and in line with Phase 2 and 3 trials in individuals living with obesity. The trial includes multiple assessments over a 12-month period, including body weight, waist circumference, body composition (MRI and DEXA), liver fat (MRI-PDFF), HbA1c, and lipid levels. These data will inform further development of WVE-007 in obesity, as well as in MASH, type 2 diabetes, and other cardiometabolic diseases. Wave expects to deliver six-month data from its Phase 2a trial in 2027.
Wave has also initiated a Phase 2a combination trial evaluating WVE-007 with weekly tirzepatide compared to tirzepatide alone in individuals living with obesity (BMI 35-50 kg/m²) and type 2 diabetes. Today, Wave is announcing its plan to integrate its maintenance clinical trial with this ongoing combination trial, which is expected to enhance operational efficiencies and accelerate time to data.
Visit Wave at ObesityWeek®
Attendees are invited to visit Wave at Booth #428 to learn more about WVE-007 and Wave’s differentiated approach to addressing obesity with its SpiNA design siRNA.
About Wave Life Sciences
Wave Life Sciences (Nasdaq: WVE) is a biotechnology company focused on unlocking the broad potential of RNA medicines to transform human health. Wave’s PRISM® platform combines multiple RNA medicine modalities, chemistry innovation, and deep insights in human genetics to deliver scientific breakthroughs that treat both rare and common disorders. Its toolkit of RNA-targeting modalities, including RNAi (SpiNA) and RNA editing (AIMers), provides Wave with unmatched capabilities for designing and sustainably delivering candidates that optimally address disease biology. Wave’s lead pipeline programs include obesity (WVE-007), alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (WVE-006), and PNPLA3 I148M liver disease (WVE-008), as well as several preclinical programs utilizing the company’s versatile RNA medicines platform. Driven by the calling to “Reimagine Possible,” Wave is leading the charge toward a world in which human potential is no longer hindered by the burden of disease. Wave is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. For more information on Wave’s science, pipeline and people, please visit www.wavelifesciences.com and follow Wave on X and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning our goals, beliefs, expectations, strategies, objectives and plans, and other statements that are not necessarily based on historical facts, including statements regarding the following, among others: the anticipated initiation, site activation, patient recruitment, patient enrollment, dosing, generation and reporting of data and/or completion of our INLIGHT clinical trial and the timing and announcement of such events; our plans to integrate a maintenance portion into our ongoing Phase 2a combination trial with tirzepatide; the potential of WVE-007’s mechanism as a meaningful and differentiated therapeutic approach for obesity to improve body composition by inducing fat loss without muscle loss, as well as the potential to develop WVE-007 for other indications, including MASH, and cardiovascular disease; the future performance and results of WVE-007 in the Phase 2a portions of our INLIGHT clinical trial, including our expectations that baseline body composition (higher BMI, higher baseline adiposity) is associated with greater therapeutic effects; our understanding that improving body composition, including reducing harmful visceral fat while preserving lean mass, may address treatment gaps and serve as an important measure of meaningful change; our expectations of improved safety and tolerability of WVE-007, particularly relative to existing therapies; the potential benefits of our toolkit of RNA-targeting modalities, including RNAi (SpiNA) and RNA editing (AIMers), compared to others; and the benefits of RNA medicines generally. The words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “target” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of these risks, uncertainties and important factors, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Wave’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as amended, and in other filings Wave makes with the SEC from time to time. Wave undertakes no obligation to update the information contained in this press release to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances.
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