Oneness Biotech progresses SNS851 to phase 1 trial targeting fatty liver disease

Oneness Biotech’s experimental siRNA drug SNS851 advances to the next phase of testing, focusing on its safety and effectiveness for fatty liver disease, with initial results anticipated in early 2027.

Oneness Biotech has said its experimental obesity drug SNS851 has moved into the next stage of an early-stage study after completing the single-dose portion of the trial in healthy volunteers. The Taiwan-based company said the programme is now advancing to repeat dosing in people with fatty liver disease, with results from that phase expected in the first quarter of 2027.

According to the company, the completed portion of the study found that SNS851 produced a dose-related pharmacokinetic profile, meaning blood exposure rose in step with increasing doses across the range tested. Oneness Biotech said one serious adverse event was recorded among the 32 volunteers enrolled in that part of the trial, but said the event, a foot fracture, was considered unrelated to treatment.

SNS851 is being developed as a small interfering RNA, or siRNA, therapy, a type of drug designed to switch off a specific gene. Oneness Biotech says the treatment is intended to alter liver energy use and mitochondrial activity rather than suppress appetite, placing it in a different category from the GLP-1 medicines that have become a major force in obesity care. The company also says earlier animal studies suggested the drug improved blood sugar control, reduced liver fat and helped prevent weight gain while preserving muscle mass.

The study listed on ClinicalTrials.gov is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 trial designed to assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and immune response in healthy participants and people with fatty liver disease. Oneness Biotech has previously said the programme had been approved by Australian ethics and regulatory bodies, and that it is seeking strategic partners for further development. While the company presents SNS851 as a possible complement to GLP-1 drugs, the treatment remains experimental and will need much more testing before any potential clinical use.