Chinese pharmaceutical company Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals (SHA:603087) announced on Monday that it has dosed its first participant in a Phase 2 clinical trial of bofanglutide (research code: GZR18) injection, a bi-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) independently developed by the company, in US participants with overweight or obesity.

According to Gan & Lee, bofanglutide is the first GLP-1 receptor mono-agonist to undergo a head-to-head comparison with tirzepatide for assessing the efficacy in body weight management worldwide.

This Phase 2 clinical trial is intended to enrol 285 subjects, who will be randomised to receive either 24 mg, 36 mg or 48 mg of bofanglutide bi-weekly, 15 mg of tirzepatide once-weekly or placebo. The study's primary endpoint is the percentage change in body weight from baseline at the end of the treatment.