Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRBP) climbed 5% after the company released promising early-stage safety data for CRB-913, its oral CB1 inverse agonist under development for obesity treatment.
The Phase 1a trial showed that CRB-913 was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported across both single- and multiple-ascending-dose cohorts. Importantly, the study revealed early signs of weight-loss efficacy: in a dedicated obesity cohort, participants receiving the drug achieved a placebo-adjusted mean weight loss of 2.9% by Day 14.
Researchers evaluated safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics using once-daily dosing. Daily neuropsychiatric assessments remained consistently negative, addressing a longstanding concern associated with this drug class. Corbus confirmed that no cases of suicidality, depression, or insomnia were observed.
Every participant treated with CRB-913 in the obesity group lost weight, with reductions ranging from 1.3% to 4.3%. Several individuals also reported decreased food-related cravings and intrusive thoughts about eating.
Yuval Cohen, CEO of Corbus, underscored the therapy’s potential and noted that the company has already launched a 12-week Phase 1b dose-optimization study known as “CANYON-1,” which is expected to conclude in summer 2026.
Corbus is developing CRB-913 as either a standalone obesity treatment or as a complementary option to be combined with incretin-based therapies. The company added that the drug’s pharmacokinetic properties support convenient once-daily oral administration.