Endevica spins out Kalohexis to advance melanocortin-targeted obesity and cachexia therapies

Illinois-based Endevica Bio announced the spinout of Kalohexis, a new clinical-stage biotech focused on developing therapies targeting the melanocortin system for metabolic diseases, including obesity and cancer cachexia.

The newly formed company will be led by Endevica’s existing leadership team and will advance a pipeline of peptide-based candidates designed to modulate melanocortin-3 and -4 receptors (MC3R/MC4R), a central regulatory axis for metabolic homeostasis.

Kalohexis’ lead obesity candidate, 710GO, is an oral dual MC3R/MC4R agonist expected to enter a first-in-human Phase 1 trial in the first half of 2026. The company said preclinical studies in non-human primates showed 11.7% average weight loss over 13 weeks, with limited loss of lean body mass and no gastrointestinal side effects typically associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists. In a combination preclinical study, 710GO plus semaglutide achieved 6.5% weight loss over 19 days, compared with 3.0% for semaglutide alone.

Kalohexis is positioning 710GO as a potential next-generation obesity therapy that alters the body’s metabolic set-point rather than primarily suppressing appetite, aiming to enable more durable weight loss and reduced rebound after treatment cessation.

The company’s second lead asset, mifomelatide (TCMCB07), is a dual MC3R/MC4R antagonist in Phase II development for cancer cachexia. A Phase II trial in advanced colorectal cancer, initiated in Q2 2025, is evaluating effects on body weight, safety, appetite and quality of life. Earlier Phase I data in healthy volunteers showed mifomelatide was well tolerated and associated with modest increases in body weight and hunger. Preclinical data also indicated improvements in appetite and preservation of fat and cardiac mass.

Kalohexis said its broader pipeline includes selective MC3R and MC4R agonists targeting additional indications such as type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, sarcopenia and polycystic ovary syndrome.

The company aims to differentiate its approach from existing incretin-based therapies by leveraging the melanocortin system to reset metabolic regulation, potentially addressing both obesity and cachexia within a unified mechanistic framework.