Kalohexis Emerges to Reset Metabolism Beyond Today's Obesity Drugs

NORTHBROOK, Ill. – March 19, 2026 – A new biotechnology company, Kalohexis, has officially launched from stealth today, spinning out of peptide-discovery firm Endevica Bio to advance a novel class of therapeutics aimed at fundamentally reprogramming the body’s metabolism. The company is poised to challenge the booming obesity market and address a critical unmet need in cancer care with a unique dual-pronged strategy targeting the body’s master metabolic regulator.

Kalohexis’s approach centers on the melanocortin (MC) system, a crucial network of receptors in the brain that acts as the body's natural “metabolic thermostat.” This system sets and maintains a target body weight and energy balance. The company's two lead programs—one for obesity and another for cancer-related wasting—are designed to either turn this thermostat up or down, representing a significant departure from existing treatments.

Leading the new venture is the established leadership team from Endevica Bio, including Chief Executive Officer Russell Potterfield, who brings deep expertise in the field. “The melanocortin system is the body's natural regulator of metabolic homeostasis, a powerful and underutilized therapeutic axis that has been misunderstood and suboptimally targeted in the past,” said Potterfield. “By capitalizing on the broad therapeutic potential of the MC system, Kalohexis is uniquely positioned to target many high-value and underserved metabolic indications.”

A New Challenger in the Crowded Obesity Market

Kalohexis is entering the fiercely competitive obesity treatment landscape with its lead candidate, 710GO, an oral drug designed to offer a healthier and more sustainable alternative to the current generation of blockbuster GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound).

While GLP-1s have proven highly effective for weight loss, their use is associated with significant drawbacks, including persistent gastrointestinal side effects, a substantial loss of lean muscle mass (reported to be 20-50% of total weight lost), and rapid weight regain once treatment is stopped. Kalohexis aims to overcome these limitations by targeting the root cause of metabolic dysregulation.

710GO is a dual agonist that activates both the melanocortin-3 and -4 receptors (MC3R/MC4R), effectively turning up the body’s metabolic thermostat to establish a new, lower set-point for body weight. Preclinical data in obese non-human primates is promising. A 13-week study showed an average weight reduction of 11.7% with notable advantages over GLP-1s:

• Quality Weight Loss: Less than 10% of the total weight lost was lean muscle mass, preserving critical muscle tissue.
• Improved Durability: Upon treatment cessation, animals regained only 34% of the lost weight over six weeks, compared to studies of GLP-1s where weight rebound can exceed 100% in just two weeks.
• Better Tolerability: No gastrointestinal side effects, a common complaint with GLP-1 therapies, were observed in the primate studies.

“710GO has the potential to be a healthier, more durable obesity treatment than current standard of care because rather than just suppressing appetite, it changes the body’s metabolic set-point,” said Dr. Daniel Marks, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Kalohexis. The company plans to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of the oral drug in the first half of 2026.

Addressing a Critical Unmet Need in Cancer Care

On the opposite end of the metabolic spectrum, Kalohexis is advancing mifomelatide, a potential first-in-class treatment for cancer cachexia. This devastating wasting syndrome, characterized by a rapid loss of weight and muscle, affects up to 70% of advanced cancer patients and is a direct cause of death in as many as 40% of cases. Despite its prevalence and severe impact on a patient's ability to withstand chemotherapy, there are currently no FDA-approved drugs for the condition.

Mifomelatide works by antagonizing, or blocking, the same MC3R/MC4R receptors that 710GO activates. This action is designed to dial down a metabolic thermostat that has become dangerously “hot” due to chronic disease, thereby preventing involuntary weight loss. The drug originated from the company’s initial focus on this life-threatening condition.

“Our research on the MC system originated with our focus on developing a treatment for cancer cachexia,” explained Dr. Marks. “After discovering how to successfully dial the thermostat down with a MC3R/MC4R antagonist, we recognized that with a few molecular modifications, we could also design a MC3R/MC4R agonist to turn the thermostat up as a potential treatment for obesity.”

Mifomelatide is already in a Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT06937177), which began enrolling patients with advanced colorectal cancer in the second quarter of 2025. The study is evaluating the drug's ability to stabilize body weight, improve appetite, and enhance quality of life for patients undergoing chemotherapy. A prior Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers showed the treatment was well-tolerated and led to a modest increase in body weight and hunger compared to placebo.

A Strategic Spinout with a Broader Vision

The launch of Kalohexis is a strategic move by its parent company, Endevica Bio, a leader in discovering novel peptide drug candidates using a proprietary AI-assisted technology platform. This platform is adept at designing molecules that can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier to act on central nervous system targets like the melanocortin receptors. The spinout allows a dedicated team and focused resources to accelerate the clinical development of this promising metabolic portfolio.

The company’s vision extends far beyond its two lead programs. By mastering the modulation of the melanocortin system, Kalohexis believes it can address a wide array of metabolic disorders that remain underserved.

“Beyond obesity and cachexia, our pipeline includes first-in-class MC4R-selective and MC3R-selective agonists with the potential to address multiple metabolic indications with significant unmet needs, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, opioid use disorder, sarcopenia, polycystic ovary syndrome, muscle retention adjuvant, and menopausal weight maintenance,” Potterfield stated. This broad therapeutic potential positions the new company as a significant new player in the future of metabolic medicine.