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Myostatin is a protein that inhibits skeletal muscle growth through a muscle catabolism. Excessive myostatin activity or weakened muscle regulatory function can lead to decreased muscle mass and diminished muscle function, which are recognized as critical challenges in aging, sarcopenia, obesity, and metabolic disease management.

HM500197, a first peptide-based selective myostatin inhibitor with long-acting technology, is engineered to induce an increase in skeletal muscle-based lean mass, based on inhibitory efficacy comparable to antibody-based therapeutics.

In preclinical animal models of sarcopenia, HM500197 demonstrated an increase in skeletal muscle mass and lean mass, alongside improvements in muscle strength, thereby proving its potential for quantitative and functional muscle recovery. Furthermore, in obesity animal models, co-administration with GLP-1 class anti-obesity drugs sustained the fat loss effect without causing a loss of lean mass and skeletal muscle mass, confirming its potential as an optimal combination partner for incretin-based anti-obesity therapies.

As a peptide-based therapeutic agent, HM500197 is designed to share the same route of administration and dosing frequency as once-weekly incretin-based anti-obesity medications. This is expected to enhance patient convenience and treatment adherence compared to antibody-based treatments, while securing a differentiated competitive advantage in terms of future therapeutic accessibility.