Kailera Therapeutics has raised an eye-watering $600 million in Series B financing to take its lead drug for weight loss into pivotal trials, in a further sign of the insatiable investor appetite for obesity-related stocks.

Kailera Therapeutics已经筹集了令人瞠目结舌的6亿美元B轮融资，以将其领先的减肥药物推进到关键试验中，这是投资者对与肥胖相关股票需求旺盛的又一个迹象。

The US startup is developing dual GLP-1 and GIP agonist KAI-9531 in partnership with China's Hengrui Pharma, and has said it intends to start phase 3 trials of the

美国初创公司正在与中国恒瑞制药合作开发双重GLP-1和GIP激动剂KAI-9531，并表示打算开始该药物的第三阶段试验。

obesity

肥胖症

candidate before the end of this year. In China, where the drug is known as

今年年底前的候选药物。在中国，这种药物被称为

HRS9531

HRS9531

, is already being prepared for a regulatory filing.

，已经在准备监管文件的提交。

The once-weekly injectable has a similar mechanism of action to Eli Lilly's Zepbound (tirzepatide), which made nearly $5.7 billion in sales in the first half of the year, but according to Kailera could deliver 'potentially best-in-class weight loss.'

这种每周一次的注射剂与礼来公司的Zepbound（替尔扎帕肽）作用机制相似，后者在今年上半年实现了近57亿美元的销售额，但据凯勒拉称，该药物可能带来“潜在的最佳减重效果”。

Zepbound is growing fast on the back of data showing it is more effective at reducing weight than its main rival in the obesity category, Novo Nordisk's

Zepbound在减重效果优于其在肥胖症领域的主要竞争对手诺和诺德的数据支持下，正在迅速增长。

GLP-1

GLP-1

agonist Wegovy (semaglutide), but there are dozens of new weight-loss candidates coming through the pipeline with a mission to supplant the two market leaders.

激动剂Wegovy（司美鲁肽），但还有数十种新的减肥候选药物正在研发中，旨在取代这两家市场领导者。

Kailera has said it plans to evaluate both higher doses and longer duration of treatment in global clinical trials as it contemplates taking on Novo Nordisk and Lilly in the obesity market.

凯勒拉表示，计划在全球临床试验中评估更高剂量和更长治疗周期，以期在肥胖症市场上与诺和诺德和礼来竞争。

The Series B was led by new investor Bain Capital with buy-in from a lengthy list of new and existing investors, and comes just over a year after Kailera burst onto the scene with a $400 million first round.

B轮融资由新投资者贝恩资本领投，一大批新老投资者跟投，距离Kailera带着4亿美元首轮亮相仅一年多时间。

In a statement, Kailera said it recently completed end-of-phase 2 meetings with the FDA and is now planning two phase 3 trials of KAI-9531 in adults living with obesity or overweight with comorbidities, with and without type 2 diabetes, as well as an additional study in very obese individuals living with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher..

凯勒拉公司在一份声明中表示，其最近完成了与FDA的第二阶段末会议，现在计划对生活中的肥胖或超重并伴有并发症的成年人进行两项KAI-9531的第三阶段试验，包括患有2型糖尿病和不患2型糖尿病的人群，并对身体质量指数（BMI）为35或更高的极重度肥胖个体进行额外研究。

The new funding will also go towards a follow-up obesity programme, small-molecule GLP-1 agonist KAI-7535, which has shown efficacy in a Chinese phase 2 study. Lilly and Novo Nordisk are also trying to bring oral weight-loss drugs to market and have reported positive

新资金还将用于跟进一项后续肥胖症项目——小分子GLP-1激动剂KAI-7535，该药物在中国的二期研究中显示出疗效。礼来和诺和诺德也在试图将口服减肥药推向市场，并报告了积极的结果。

phase 3 results

第三阶段结果

with their respective candidates in the last few weeks.

在过去的几周里，他们各自的候选人。

'We are excited to welcome our new investors and extend sincere appreciation to our current investors for their continued confidence in our vision,' said Ron Renaud, president and chief executive of Kailera.

“我们很高兴欢迎我们的新投资者，并对现有投资者对我们愿景的持续信任表示诚挚的感谢，”Kailera总裁兼首席执行官Ron Renaud表示。

'With an increasing global population affected by obesity and limited options for those living with higher BMIs, the need for effective treatment options has never been greater.'

“随着全球肥胖人口不断增加，而高BMI人群的治疗选择有限，对有效治疗方案的需求前所未有地迫切。”

Kailera has become closely watched in the weight-loss category as a potential buyout candidate, given that it already has a phase 3-ready candidate and follow-up options. Last month, Pfizer reached a deal to buy another company in that mould,

鉴于Kailera已拥有一个处于第三阶段的候选药物及后续选择，它在减肥药领域成为了潜在收购目标而备受关注。上个月，辉瑞达成了收购另一家同类型公司的协议。

Metsera

米特塞拉

, in a $4.9 billion deal.

，在一笔49亿美元的交易中。