Key points
- GC Green Cross WellBeing (234690) rose 16.5% on Sept. 3
- Partner's RZL-012 beat placebo by 30 percentage points in China
- The shot ruptures cell membranes, unlike GLP-1 peptides
- Still investigational, not an approved obesity treatment
On Sept. 3, GC Green Cross WellBeing said its partner, Raziel Therapeutics, had reported positive Phase 3 topline results in a China trial for RZL-012. The drug is an investigational fat-reduction injection. The stock rose as much as 30% during the day, triggered two volatility interruptions before 10:10 a.m. in Seoul, and closed up 16.5% at 10,750 won (US$7.17), up from 9,230 won (US$6.15) the day before, 국제뉴스 reported.
RZL-012 isn't a peptide drug, and it doesn't lower appetite the way GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic do, or the way peptide-based drugs some other Kosdaq biotechs are chasing. A 2021 study in Dermatologic Surgery found it kills cells by rupturing their cell membrane, a process called necrosis. The effect wasn't selective for adipocytes in laboratory testing; cultured adipocytes and fibroblasts were both susceptible. It is delivered as a local injection, and this trial tested it as a cosmetic treatment for submental fullness, the medical term for a double chin, not as a treatment for obesity or weight loss in general.
The trial enrolled 480 adult patients in China, 360 on the drug and 120 on placebo. JuveStar, a company incubated by Fosun Pharma's venture arm, ran the trial, 헤럴드경제 reported. A single treatment cycle met its primary and secondary goals at day 84, with a responder rate 30 percentage points higher than placebo. Neither company has released the absolute response rates, confidence intervals, or detailed adverse-event data behind the topline findings. The companies characterized the safety results as favorable, but the available information isn't enough for independent assessment.
GC Green Cross WellBeing holds the exclusive license to sell RZL-012 in Korea and also holds an equity stake in Raziel Therapeutics. Neither company has disclosed the size or terms of that stake, so GC may benefit financially from Raziel's results elsewhere, though how much isn't public. A company official said in a statement, "Through this Phase 3 result, we were able to confirm the commercial potential of RZL-012," and added, "we will build a portfolio that connects obesity treatment and medical aesthetics, in line with the growing obesity treatment market and demand for body shape improvement." The statement is translated from Korean.
Fosun Pharma and Raziel plan to file for approval with China's drug regulator, the NMPA, based on these reported results, and said they plan additional trials to expand RZL-012 beyond the chin to the abdomen and thighs. RZL-012 remains an investigational treatment. It's not an approved obesity or weight-loss drug in any market.
