For decades, the conversation around obesity has had a single protagonist: body weight. The classic formula “eat less and move more” may generate initial changes, but the problem arises when the script demands sustainable endings. Evidence shows that many individuals regain weight in the years that follow if lifestyle changes are not maintained, fueling a cycle of frustration, stigma and disengagement from healthcare. In response to this scenario the Health at Every Size (HAES) approach proposes a paradigm shift: focusing on health and well being behaviors without positioning weight loss as the primary goal.

A review paper by scientists from Tianjin University presented light on brain-on-a-chip interfaces (BoCIs)—a groundbreaking technology that fuses lab-grown biological neural networks with electronic systems to enable bidirectional information exchange.

Targeting glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) has emerged as a promising strategy against obesity and related diseases through the “incretin effect” and regulation of other biological processes.

Empowered by the comprehensive abilities of Chemistry42, Insilico nominates ISM0676, the novel, oral available GIPR antagonist, as a clinical candidate compound (PCC) with both monotherapy and combination potential. The process from project initiation to PCC took 14 months, with less than 200 molecules synthesized and tested.

Preclinical studies have highlighted up to 31.3% body weight loss in diet-induced obese (DIO) humanized GIPR mice when co-administered with semaglutide. ISM0676 also demonstrated excellent in vivo metabolic stability, low drug-drug interaction risk, favorable safety profiles, and low predicted human efficacious dose, supporting future development.