Verdiva Bio launches with US $411 million to tackle obesity market

USA – Investor enthusiasm for companies developing obesity treatments remains robust, as evidenced by the launch of Verdiva Bio.

This new Anglo-American biotech has secured an impressive US $411 million in its first financing round.

With operations based in London and San Francisco, Verdiva Bio aims to address obesity, cardiometabolic disorders, and associated complications through its innovative pipeline of oral and injectable therapies.

At the forefront of Verdiva’s portfolio are once-weekly oral GLP-1 and oral amylin therapies designed for weight loss and long-term weight management.

These developments directly target the dominance of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, whose GLP-1 agonist-based treatments for obesity and diabetes already generate billions in revenue.

As competition heats up in this sector, the obesity drug market is projected to grow to US $131 billion by 2028, according to IQVIA.

Leading Verdiva Bio is Khurem Farooq, who previously served as CEO of Aiolos Bio and Gyroscope Therapeutics, both of which were acquired by major pharmaceutical players GSK and Novartis, respectively.

Farooq expressed optimism about the company’s flagship product, VRB-101, an oral GLP-1 peptide.

He described it as a potential “first-in-class, once-weekly oral treatment for obesity and weight loss maintenance.”

Licensed from Chinese biotech company Sciwind, VRB-101 has successfully completed a phase 1 clinical trial.

The trial demonstrated the drug’s viability for once-weekly dosing and its capacity to support weight loss, positioning it as a strong contender in the obesity treatment landscape.

In addition to VRB-101, Verdiva’s pipeline includes two other promising candidates, also licensed from Sciwind.

These are VRB-103, a once-weekly oral amylin agonist, and VRB-102, a long-acting injectable amylin agonist.

Currently in preclinical development, these candidates are being prepared for evaluation as standalone therapies and in combination with oral and injectable GLP-1 drugs.

Farooq highlighted the company’s mission to provide better treatment options for people living with obesity and its complications.

He underscored the importance of offering “oral therapies with less frequent dosing, improved efficacy and tolerability, and innovative combination therapies” that promote both effective weight loss and sustained metabolic health.

Verdiva Bio’s leadership team includes seasoned professionals such as Chief Scientific Officer Jane Hughes, who previously collaborated with Farooq at Aiolos and Gyroscope, and Chief Medical Officer Mohamed Eid, who joined from Boehringer Ingelheim.

The company’s Series A funding round was co-led by Forbion and General Atlantic, with significant contributions from RA Capital Management, OrbiMed, Logos Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, and LYFE Capital.