Boehringer launches P2T for obesity drug candidate

Triple-acting GLP-1/GIP/NPY2R therapy… draws attention as a potential game changer in the next-generation obesity market

Boehringer Ingelheim has begun a Phase II clinical trial in Korea for its next-generation triple-acting obesity drug candidate, accelerating its efforts to compete in the global obesity treatment market.

According to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry on July 1, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) approved a Phase II clinical trial application on June 29 for ‘BI 3034701,’ an investigational therapy for obesity and overweight submitted by Boehringer Ingelheim Korea. The study is a 42-week dose-finding trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous BI 3034701 compared with placebo in obese or overweight participants.

The multinational Phase II study plans to enroll 22 participants in Korea. Five major university hospitals have been selected as domestic trial sites: Asan Medical Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Bucheon St. Mary's Hospital of The Catholic University of Korea, and Daejeon Eulji Medical Center. The trial is expected to continue for approximately two years, through July 2028.

BI 3034701 was originally developed by Danish bioventure Gubra. In June 2023, Boehringer Ingelheim acquired global rights to the candidate under a licensing agreement. It is being developed as the first 'triple agonist' combining GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) activity with NPY2R (neuropeptide Y receptor type 2) agonist, which suppresses appetite through an additional biological pathway. By blocking appetite through three distinct pathways, it is expected to demonstrate significantly more powerful weight-loss effect and improved safety compared to existing obesity treatments."

Boehringer Ingelheim initiated its Phase I program in June 2024 and completed the study in August 2025. In topline results announced in December 2025, the company reported favorable safety and tolerability, along with encouraging early signals of weight loss. It subsequently outlined plans to advance into a Phase II trial in April this year and has now moved quickly to initiate the study in Korea following regulatory approval.

Participants will be randomly assigned in a double-blind design to one of seven treatment groups and will receive once-weekly subcutaneous injections. The primary endpoint of the study is the percentage change in body weight at Week 42. Additional endpoints will include changes in waist circumference and blood pressure, as well as the proportions of participants achieving at least 5% and up to 20% or greater weight loss, to determine the optimal therapeutic dose.

An industry official said, “While today's obesity treatment market is dominated by single- and dual-agonist therapies such as Wegovy and Zepbound, triple agonists are widely viewed as the next-generation game-changer. With Korea moving quickly to approve this Phase II study in line with the global development program, competition to secure a leading position in the next-generation obesity market is expected to intensify."