- Initiation of study marks an important milestone in advancing Neurocrine’s obesity portfolio and investigational metabolic disease pipeline
Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBIX) today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 first-in-human clinical study evaluating the safety and tolerability of NBIP-‘1968, an investigational GLP-1/GIP/glucagon receptor triple agonist being developed as a therapy for obesity
“Obesity is a complex chronic disease driven by multiple biological pathways, underscoring the need for additional treatment options,” said Sanjay Keswani, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Neurocrine Biosciences. “NBIP-‘1968 is designed to engage three complementary metabolic mechanisms, reflecting our commitment to exploring multiple scientific approaches to obesity.”
The Phase 1 study initially will evaluate the safety and tolerability of single ascending doses of NBIP-‘1968 in adult participants across a range of body mass index categories, including overweight and obese
NBIP-‘1968 is an internally discovered, investigational long-acting triple agonist designed for once-weekly subcutaneous administration. It targets the receptors for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon to influence metabolic pathways involved in appetite regulation, energy balance and glycemic control. NBIP-‘1968 was designed with balanced glucagon receptor activity to optimize the potential metabolic benefits of glucagon receptor activation while supporting tolerability.
Neurocrine is developing NBIP-‘1968 as part of a broader obesity portfolio that includes NBIP-‘2118, an investigational corticotropin-releasing factor type 2 receptor agonist currently in Phase 1 development. NBIP-‘1968 is intended for use in a fixed-dose combination with NBIP-‘2118. The company’s obesity research also includes earlier-stage programs designed to explore complementary mechanisms and extended dosing intervals
“Advancing NBIP-‘1968 into the clinic marks another important step in building our obesity portfolio,” said Jude Onyia, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Neurocrine Biosciences. “Our strategy is to explore complementary and differentiated mechanisms that may improve weight loss, preserve lean mass and ultimately address the diverse needs of people living with obesity.”
About ObesityObesity is a chronic disease characterized by excess body fat and is associated with serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obstructive sleep apnea, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis/fatty liver disease, certain cancers and osteoarthritis. It is driven by complex biological, environmental, and genetic factors – not simply lifestyle or willpower. Obesity has reached epidemic levels worldwide, affecting a significant proportion of adults and placing a substantial burden on public health systems. Despite recent advances in treatment, there remains a need for additional therapies that support safe, effective and sustainable long-term weight management. Current therapies can have challenges with respect to gastrointestinal tolerability, dose titration, and muscle loss.
About Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. Neurocrine Biosciences is a leading biopharmaceutical company with a simple purpose: to relieve suffering for people with great needs. We are dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing life-changing treatments for patients with under-addressed neurological, psychiatric, endocrine and immunological disorders. The company’s diverse portfolio includes FDA-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, chorea associated with Huntington’s disease, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome, endometriosis* and uterine fibroids*, as well as a robust pipeline including multiple compounds in mid- to late-phase clinical development across our core therapeutic areas. For more than three decades, we have applied our unique insight into neuroscience and the interconnections between brain and body systems to treat complex conditions. We relentlessly pursue medicines to ease the burden of debilitating diseases and disorders, because you deserve brave science. For more information, visit neurocrine.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and YouTube. (*in collaboration with AbbVie)
NEUROCRINE, the NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES logo and YOU DESERVE BRAVE SCIENCE are registered trademarks of Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc
Forward-Looking StatementsIn addition to historical facts, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the efficacy and therapeutic potential of NBIP-‘2118, NBIP-‘1968 and other preclinical programs for obesity. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following: risks that clinical development activities may not be initiated or completed on time or at all, or may be delayed for regulatory, manufacturing or other reasons, may not be successful or replicate previous clinical trial results, may fail to demonstrate that our product candidates are safe and effective, or may not be predictive of real-world results or of results in subsequent clinical trials; risks that regulatory submissions for our product candidates may not occur or be submitted in a timely manner; our future financial and operating performance; risks associated with our dependence on third parties for development, manufacturing and commercialization activities for our products and product candidates and our ability to manage these third parties; risks that the FDA or other regulatory authorities may make adverse decisions regarding our products or product candidates; risks that the potential benefits of the agreements with our collaboration partners may never be realized; risks that our products and/or our product candidates may be precluded from commercialization by the proprietary or regulatory rights of third parties, or have unintended side effects, adverse reactions or incidents of misuse; risks associated with U.S. federal or state legislative or regulatory and/or policy efforts which may result in, among other things, an adverse impact on our revenues or potential revenue; risks associated with potential generic entrants for our products; and other risks described in the Company’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. Neurocrine Biosciences disclaims any obligation to update the statements contained in this press release after the date hereof other than required by law.
SOURCE Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.
