First patient dosed in study of Corbus’ next-generation CB1 Inverse Agonist CRB-913 for the treatment of obesity

The first patient has been dosed in Corbus Pharmaceuticals in the single ascending dose/multiple ascending dose (SAD/MAD) portion of the Phase 1 trial of CRB-913 for the treatment of obesity. The study is being conducted in the US under an open IND.

CRB-913 is a second-generation, highly peripherally restricted cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor inverse agonist drug designed to treat obesity. CB1 inverse agonism is a clinically validated mechanism to induce weight loss but the first generation of this class (e.g., rimonabant) was abandoned due to the potential risk of neuropsychiatric adverse events.

A second generation of peripherally restricted CB1 inverse agonists is now being explored (e.g., monlunabant and CRB-913). Pre-clinical data presented at Obesity Week 2024 demonstrated CRB-913 is markedly more peripherally restricted than both monlunabant and rimonabant. In non-clinical models, CRB-913 has a brain-to-plasma ratio fifty times lower than rimonabant and is fifteen times more peripherally restricted than monlunabant.

The SAD/MAD portion of the Phase 1 trial is scheduled to be completed in Q3 of this year and the company expects to commence a Phase 1b dose-range finding study in Q4 of 2025. The dose-range finding study is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026.

“We are pleased to reach this important milestone with our CRB-913 obesity programme,” said Dr Yuval Cohen, Chief Executive Officer of Corbus. “We believe that the ability to address weight loss with this orthogonal mechanism of action and via an oral small molecule could address several key unmet needs. Our pre-clinical data to date suggests a potential clinical use as monotherapy, combination therapy with incretin analogs as well as a maintenance therapy post incretin analog induction treatment.”