KDS2010 for weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Dose Finding, Phase 2a Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of KDS2010 in Overweight or Obese Patients

This trial will test whether daily KDS2010 helps adults with overweight or obesity lose weight safely compared with a placebo.

Quick facts

• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 75 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: NeuroBiogen Co., Ltd (Industry-sponsored)
• Locations: 3 sites (Suwon, Gyeonggi-do and 2 other locations)
• Trial ID: NCT07009171 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation Phase 2a trial of KDS2010, a reversible MAO-B inhibitor, conducted at selected sites in Korea and the United States. The study enrolls about 75 adults after a 2-week run-in during which participants document calorie reduction and physical activity; Stage 1 uses a small 2:1 randomization for initial safety and tolerability, followed by a larger 1:1:1 randomization in Stage 2 across two active dose levels and placebo. Participants take once-daily oral KDS2010 for 12 weeks with safety follow-up at week 13, and outcomes include safety, pharmacokinetics, and measures of weight change. A Safety Review Committee will review Stage 1 data before dose escalation to Stage 2.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults aged 18 or older with BMI ≥30 kg/m² or BMI ≥27 kg/m² with at least one weight-related comorbidity who can adhere to the required run-in calorie reduction and physical activity are the intended participants.

Not a fit: People with BMI below the entry thresholds, those with unstable or excluded medical conditions (for example certain cardiac or psychiatric conditions), or those unable to follow the run-in lifestyle requirements are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If effective, KDS2010 could help people with overweight or obesity lose weight and improve metabolic measures using a novel reversible MAO-B inhibitor.

How similar studies have performed: Use of MAO-B inhibitors for weight loss is a novel application with limited prior data—Phase 1 showed preliminary signals but larger evidence for this approach is currently sparse.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Adult males and females aged 18 years or older (or the legal age of adulthood in the respective country) as of the date of written consent
* Subjects with BMI ≥30 kg/m² or BMI ≥27 kg/m² with at least one weight-related comorbidity (hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, obstructive sleep apnea) at screening and baseline

  * Hypertension: under treatment or have Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) ≥130 mmHg or Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) ≥80 mmHg
  * Dyslipidemia: under treatment or LDL \> 160 mg/dL or TG \> 200 mg/dL or HDL \< 40 mg/dL
  * Cardiovascular diseases (e.g., ischemic cardiovascular disease, NYHA Class I to III heart failure, Peripheral vascular disease (PVD), Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), etc.)
  * Obstructive sleep apnoea
* Subjects who have documented a 500 kcal reduction/day in calorie intake and ≥150 minutes of physical activity/week for ≥50% of the time during the run-in period
* Subjects who have voluntarily provided written consent to participate after being informed about this clinical trial

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects with a weight change of 5% or more within 12 weeks before screening
* Subjects with less than 80% or more than 120% compliance during the Run-in period
* Subjects with obesity due to secondary causes (neurological disorders, endocrine disorders, genetic disorders, congenital disorders, etc.)
* Subjects with following medical history,

  * Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
  * History of bariatric/metabolic surgery (e.g., adjustable gastric banding, intragastric balloon insertion, sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, biliopancreatic diversion, duodenal switch) or planning to undergo such surgery during the study period
  * Heart failure classified as NYHA class IV
  * Subjects with a medical history of malignant tumors within 5 years prior to screening (however, subjects with successfully treated basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, thyroid cancer, or other carcinoma in situ, with no recurrence for more than 3 years, may be enrolled at the investigator's discretion)
  * Subjects with a medical history of hypersensitivity to MAO inhibitors
  * Subjects with a medical history of cerebrovascular disease (e.g., transient ischemic attack, stroke) within 12 weeks prior to baseline, or those hospitalized for unstable angina or congestive heart failure
  * Subjects with a history of depressive disorders or psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder) within 2 years prior to screening
* Subjects with a history of the following drug administration,

  \-- Anti-obesity agents or weight-loss medications (including dietary supplements and herbal medicine) within 12 weeks before screening
  * Corticosteroids administered for 2 consecutive weeks or more within 12 weeks before screening (however, topical preparations, including inhalants, are allowed)
  * Treatment for hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism at the time of screening (subjects on a stable dose and regimen for at least 12 weeks may be enrolled at the investigator's discretion)
  * MAO inhibitors within 2 weeks before baseline
  * Opioid medications (e.g., pethidine, Tramadol, Tapentadol) within 2 weeks before baseline
  * Serotonergic drugs within 2 weeks before baseline,

    * Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI), ② Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI),

      * Tricyclic or Tetracyclic antidepressant, ④ Triazolopyridine antidepressant, ⑤ Selective serotonin (5-HT1) agonists (Sumatriptan, etc.), (However, amitriptyline ≤50 mg/day, trazodone ≤100 mg/day, citalopram ≤20 mg/day, sertraline ≤100 mg/day, paroxetine ≤30 mg/day are allowed; long half-life serotonergic drugs (e.g., fluoxetine) require at least a 5-week wash out period before enrollment),
  * Lithium, Bupropion, Lamotrigine, Ritonavir, Cyclobenzaprine, or St. John's wort within 2 weeks before baseline
  * Hypertension crisis-inducing drugs (e.g., oxymetazoline, phentermine, phenylephrine) within 2 weeks before baseline
  * Sympathomimetic agents (e.g., ephedrine, methylphenidate, amphetamine, methamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine) at the time of screening
  * Dextromethorphan at the time of screening
* Subjects who meet following criteria based on the tests conducted at Screening

  * Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥6.5%
  * Hepatic impairment (Child-pugh class C)
  * AST or ALT \> 2.5 X ULN
  * Total bilirubin \>1.5 X ULN (however, \>3.0 mg/dL is acceptable in cases of Gilbert syndrome)
  * Severe renal impairment (eGFR \<30 mL/min/1.73 m² calculated using the MDRD formula\*),

    \* eGFR = 175 X (Serum creatinine)-1.154 X (Age)-0.203 X (0.742 (for females)) X (1.212 (for African Americans))
  * TSH \>6.0 mIU/L or \<0.4 mIU/L,
* Subjects with a lifetime history of suicide attempts
* Subjects with a PHQ-9 score of 10 or higher at screening
* Subjects who answer affirmatively to item 4 or 5 on the C-SSRS at screening
* Pregnant or breastfeeding women
* Females of childbearing potential and males who do not agree to use adequate contraception# until at least 2 weeks after the last dose of the IP or who plan to conceive during the study period,

  * Adequate contraception is defined as double contraception using both barrier methods (male condom or female condom) and one of the contraceptive methods ①-③.

    * Hormonal contraceptive (oral, injectable, implantable, etc.), ② Implantation of Intrauterine device (IUD) or intrauterine system (IUS), ③ Sterilization procedures or surgeries (bilateral tubal ligation, hysterectomy, vasectomy), ④ Complete abstinence: absolute abstinence is accepted if, in the investigator's judgment, the subject's age, occupation, lifestyle, or sexual orientation ensure compliance with contraception. However, periodic abstinence (calendar method, ovulation method, symptothermal method, etc.) withdrawal, and coitus interruptus are not considered adequate contraceptive methods.,
* Subjects who have participated in another clinical trial and received an investigational drug or device within 4 weeks prior to screening
* Other reasons (such as a medical history of alcohol or substance abuse) that the investigator deems the subject unsuitable for participation in this clinical trial

Where this trial is running

Suwon, Gyeonggi-do and 2 other locations

• The Catholic University of Korea, St. Vincent's Hospital — Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea (Recruiting)
• Kangbuk Samsung Medical Center — Seoul, Seoul, South Korea (Recruiting)
• Yonsei University Health System, Severance Hospital — Seoul, Seoul, South Korea (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Jaeheon Kang, Professor

Conditions Overweight; Obesity; Obese Patients; KDS2010; MAO-B inhibitor