Verdiva Ends a Phase 2 Trial of Its Weekly GLP-1 Pill as a Maintenance Option

Verdiva Bio, a UK biotech developing weekly oral obesity drugs, has terminated a Phase 2 trial of VRB-101, an oral formulation of the GLP-1 receptor agonist ecnoglutide. According to the ClinicalTrials.gov record, which was updated on October 13, 2026, the sponsor made "a business decision not to continue the study," and the decision "was not based on safety findings."

The randomized, placebo-controlled study was designed to find a weekly oral dose of VRB-101 that could maintain weight loss in adults with obesity or overweight and weight-related conditions who had already lost weight after at least six months on injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide. The registry lists three active dose arms and a placebo arm, a 16-week treatment period, and an actual start date of June 12, 2026.

The study ended on September 11, 2026, with eight participants enrolled. Fierce Biotech reported that Verdiva had originally aimed to recruit 120 people. No efficacy or side-effect results have been posted, so the termination says nothing either way about whether the pill works for maintenance.

"We have refined our clinical development plans for VRB-101 in light of market evolution," a Verdiva spokesperson told BioSpace. The spokesperson added that the company continues to develop VRB-101 as a potential monotherapy and alongside its amylin portfolio, and that data from a separate Phase 2 study, EVOLVE-2, are being assessed. Fierce Biotech reported that EVOLVE-2 tested VRB-101 alone in 206 patients and ended in July.

Switching from a weekly injection to a pill after the weight-loss phase is an idea several drugmakers are exploring; Fierce Biotech noted that Eli Lilly shared data from a switch-maintenance trial in December, and that a weekly pill could be more convenient than Lilly's daily Foundayo tablets. According to BioSpace, Verdiva licensed VRB-101 from China's Sciwind Biosciences, and an injectable form of ecnoglutide is already approved in China, where Pfizer holds commercialization rights. Those approvals do not cover the oral candidate.

Trials are stopped for strategic reasons fairly often, and this one closed before it could produce meaningful data. For people on injectable GLP-1 drugs who hope to move to a pill once they reach their goal, the evidence still rests mainly on approved oral options and the company data behind them. Anyone considering a switch should discuss it with their prescriber rather than rely on early pipeline news.