Wave Life Sciences presents preclinical data for WVE-007, showcasing its potential for effective obesity treatment with minimal dosing.
Quiver AI Summary
Wave Life Sciences Ltd. announced preclinical data for its investigational obesity treatment, WVE-007, a GalNAc-siRNA therapeutic targeting INHBE mRNA. The data suggest that WVE-007 promotes fat loss while preserving muscle mass, showing significant reductions in fat cell size and inflammation in preclinical models, as well as improved insulin sensitivity. In combination with semaglutide, it demonstrated double the weight loss in mice and prevented weight regain after treatment cessation. Ongoing clinical trials have shown promising target engagement with durable decreases in Activin E levels, indicating potential for infrequent dosing (once or twice a year) and a favorable safety profile. These findings will be presented at ObesityWeek® and are part of Wave's broader mission to harness RNA medicines for transformative health benefits.
Potential Positives
- Wave Life Sciences announced promising preclinical data for WVE-007, its investigational obesity treatment, showing fat reduction while preserving lean muscle mass.
- The recent INLIGHT clinical trial results demonstrated significant and durable reductions in Activin E levels, with up to 85% reduction observed, indicating strong target engagement and potential efficacy.
- WVE-007, when combined with semaglutide, doubled weight loss in preclinical models and prevented weight regain, suggesting potential for improved patient outcomes in obesity management.
- The therapy showed a safe and well-tolerated profile during the clinical trial, enhancing confidence in its future development and potential market acceptance.
Potential Negatives
- There are significant uncertainties and risks mentioned in the forward-looking statements, which may deter investors and affect the company's market perception.
- The ongoing clinical trial, INLIGHT, may not yield expected results, potentially undermining the company's claims about the effectiveness and safety of WVE-007.
- Details about the limited patient cohort in the initial dose stages of the trial (only eight participants in the lowest dose cohort) may raise concerns about the robustness and applicability of the results.
FAQ
What is WVE-007 and its potential benefits?
WVE-007 is a GalNAc-siRNA therapy aimed at treating obesity by promoting fat loss while preserving muscle mass.
How does WVE-007 compare to existing obesity treatments?
WVE-007 may offer improved tolerance and less muscle loss than GLP-1 receptor agonists, enhancing its weight loss efficacy.
What are the findings from the preclinical studies of WVE-007?
Preclinical studies showed significant fat loss, reduced inflammation, and improved insulin sensitivity in visceral adipose tissue without muscle loss.
When will more clinical data for WVE-007 be available?
Wave Life Sciences expects multiple updates from the INLIGHT study, including data in Q4 2025 and Q1-Q2 2026.
Where can I find more information about Wave Life Sciences?
For more details, visit the Wave Life Sciences website and follow their updates on X and LinkedIn.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$WVE Insider Trading Activity
$WVE insiders have traded $WVE stock on the open market 7 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 7 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $WVE stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- PAUL BOLNO (President and CEO) sold 217,351 shares for an estimated $2,194,810
- GREGORY L. VERDINE has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 40,000 shares for an estimated $308,500.
- AIK NA TAN has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 22,127 shares for an estimated $204,111.
- CHRISTIAN O HENRY sold 9,670 shares for an estimated $85,192
- KEN TAKANASHI sold 4,872 shares for an estimated $42,630
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
$WVE Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 104 institutional investors add shares of $WVE stock to their portfolio, and 79 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- FEDERATED HERMES, INC. added 3,750,140 shares (+678144.7%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $27,451,024
- ADAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS GP, L.L.C. added 2,500,000 shares (+20.0%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $16,250,000
- FMR LLC removed 1,525,690 shares (-71.1%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $9,916,985
- PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ added 1,065,112 shares (+25.8%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $6,923,228
- SILVERARC CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 1,050,374 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $6,827,431
- LOOMIS SAYLES & CO L P added 859,160 shares (+35.3%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $5,584,540
- STEMPOINT CAPITAL LP added 810,505 shares (+902.2%) to their portfolio in Q2 2025, for an estimated $5,268,282
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
$WVE Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $WVE in the last several months. We have seen 5 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
- HC Wainwright & Co. issued a "Buy" rating on 09/03/2025
- Wells Fargo issued a "Overweight" rating on 07/31/2025
- Oppenheimer issued a "Outperform" rating on 07/28/2025
- Wedbush issued a "Outperform" rating on 06/23/2025
- Raymond James issued a "Outperform" rating on 06/11/2025
To track analyst ratings and price targets for $WVE, check out Quiver Quantitative's $WVE forecast page.
$WVE Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $WVE recently. We have seen 8 analysts offer price targets for $WVE in the last 6 months, with a median target of $18.5.
Here are some recent targets:
- Bill Maughan from Clear Street set a target price of $22.0 on 10/15/2025
- Tiago Fauth from Wells Fargo set a target price of $18.0 on 09/04/2025
- Andrew S. Fein from HC Wainwright & Co. set a target price of $22.0 on 09/03/2025
- Whitney Ijem from Canaccord Genuity set a target price of $19.0 on 08/04/2025
- Cheng Li from Oppenheimer set a target price of $24.0 on 07/28/2025
- Samantha Semenkow from Citigroup set a target price of $16.0 on 07/16/2025
- Yun Zhong from Wedbush set a target price of $18.0 on 06/23/2025
Full Release
Presentation will highlight preclinical data supporting the potential of WVE-007 (INHBE GalNAc-siRNA) as a unique approach for the treatment of obesity designed to drive fat loss while preserving muscle mass with once or twice annual dosing
In preclinical models, INHBE GalNAc-siRNA led to adipocyte shrinkage, fewer pro-inflammatory macrophages, less fibrosis, and improved insulin sensitivity in visceral adipose tissue, supporting potential for metabolic improvement
As an add-on to semaglutide, Wave’s GalNAc-siRNA doubled weight loss in mice and prevented weight regain upon cessation of semaglutide
INLIGHT clinical study evaluating WVE-007 is ongoing: last week Wave announced positive target engagement, including dose-dependent decreases in Activin E (up to 85%) observed one month post-single dose of WVE-007, exceeding the reductions seen in preclinical models that led to weight loss; highly durable reductions persisted through six-month follow-up; safe and well tolerated profile
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wave Life Sciences Ltd. (Nasdaq: WVE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on unlocking the broad potential of RNA medicines to transform human health, today announced the presentation of the company’s preclinical data supporting WVE-007, its GalNAc-siRNA investigational therapeutic for obesity. The data will be highlighted on November 6 in a poster presentation at ObesityWeek ® , the annual congress of The Obesity Society, in Atlanta.
WVE-007 is a GalNAc-siRNA designed to reduce fat while preserving lean mass by silencing INHBE mRNA, an obesity target with strong evidence from human genetics. People living with naturally low levels of INHBE have lower levels of unhealthy visceral fat, lower fasting glucose and triglycerides, and a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Silencing INHBE mRNA aims to reduce Activin E levels, thereby inducing fat loss without impacting muscle mass.
“With a strong foundation in human genetics, WVE-007 is focused on healthy weight loss driven by fat loss, in particular visceral fat loss, while preserving muscle to make meaningful improvements in cardiometabolic health, which is ultimately the main objective of any obesity medication. GLP‑1 receptor agonists have transformed obesity care, but their impact is often limited by tolerability, frequent dosing, and perhaps most importantly, loss of muscle mass,” said Erik Ingelsson, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Wave Life Sciences. “WVE-007 is currently advancing in the INLIGHT clinical study and we announced exciting target engagement data last week, with dose-dependent and durable Activin E reductions observed in the first three dose cohorts, exceeding levels that led to weight loss in our preclinical models. We are particularly encouraged by the durability of silencing observed, which suggests our investigational therapy may only need to be dosed once or twice per year.”
ObesityWeek ® poster presentation information:
Title: Targeting Adipose Lipolysis with INHBE Silencing Promotes a Healthy Weight Loss Profile in Mice (Poster-710)
Presenter: Ginnie (Hsiu-Chiung) Yang, PhD, SVP, Translational Medicine, Wave Life Sciences
Date and Time: November 6, 2025, 2:30-3:30pm ET
Location: Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC), Building A, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313
Wave investigated the impact of the company’s GalNAc-conjugated siRNA designed to lower the expression of INHBE mRNA in a diet-induced obesity (DIO) mouse model.
Key results are as follows:
- A single dose of Wave’s GalNAc-conjugated INHBE-siRNA in mice led to statistically significant weight loss compared to placebo (PBS treatment), reductions in visceral adipose fat mass and adipocyte size compared to controls, and no loss of skeletal muscle mass, suggesting Wave’s treatment induces a healthy weight loss comprised of fat loss and preservation of lean mass.
- Wave’s treatment led to decreased infiltration of total and pro-inflammatory macrophages by up to 41% and 80%, respectively, and reduced fibrosis by 58% in visceral adipose tissue of DIO mice. These changes align with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
-
When added to semaglutide, Wave’s GalNAc INHBE-siRNA doubled weight loss in mice and reduced weight regain upon cessation of semaglutide.
The full presentation can be accessed on the Wave Life Sciences website here .
Recent clinical progress for WVE-007:
Last week at its Research Day, Wave shared Activin E target engagement data from its ongoing, first-in-human INLIGHT clinical trial (3:1 active: placebo). One-month follow-up was available from Cohort 2 (240 mg) and Cohort 3 (400 mg), and six-month follow-up was available from Cohort 1 (75 mg). Highly significant (p<0.0001 for all doses), dose-dependent mean Activin E reductions from baseline were observed at Day 29 (one month post single dose) in the first three cohorts: 85% reduction (Cohort 3), 75% reduction (Cohort 2), 56% reduction (Cohort 1), exceeding reductions that led to weight loss in preclinical models. In Cohort 1, Activin E reductions were durable throughout the six-month follow-up, supporting WVE-007’s potential for once or twice yearly doing.
WVE-007 was safe and well-tolerated to date. An independent data monitoring committee supported dose expansion of Cohort 4 (600 mg) and dose escalation beyond that.
Wave expects to deliver multiple near-term clinical data updates from INLIGHT, including body composition and body weight, beginning with three-month follow-up data from the Cohort 2 (240 mg) and data from Cohort 1 (75 mg) in the fourth quarter of 2025, six-month follow-up data from Cohort 2 (240 mg) and three-month follow-up data from Cohort 3 (400 mg) in the first quarter of 2026, and six-month follow-up data from Cohort 3 (400 mg) and three-month follow-up data from Cohort 4 (600 mg) in the second quarter of 2026.
Additional details can be found in the company’s Research Day presentation from October 29, 2025.
About INLIGHT
INLIGHT is an ongoing, first-in-human clinical trial (3:1 active: placebo) evaluating WVE-007 in adults living with overweight or obesity and assesses safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, biomarkers for target engagement, body weight and composition, and metabolic health. Key inclusion criteria include A1c of less than 5.9 and BMI between 28 and 35. The lowest dose cohort of 75 mg enrolled eight participants. The subsequent cohorts (Cohorts 2, 3, and 4) were expanded to 32 subjects. An independent data monitoring committee has also approved further escalation to a next higher dose in Cohort 5.
About Wave Life Sciences
Wave Life Sciences (Nasdaq: WVE) is a biotechnology company focused on unlocking the broad potential of RNA medicines to transform human health. Wave’s RNA medicines platform, PRISM
®
, combines multiple modalities, chemistry innovation and deep insights in human genetics to deliver scientific breakthroughs that treat both rare and common disorders. Its toolkit of RNA-targeting modalities includes editing, splicing, RNA interference and antisense silencing, providing Wave with unmatched capabilities for designing and sustainably delivering candidates that optimally address disease biology. Wave’s diversified pipeline includes clinical programs in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, obesity, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Huntington’s disease, as well as several preclinical programs utilizing the company’s broad RNA therapeutics toolkit. Driven by the calling to “Reimagine Possible”, Wave is leading the charge toward a world in which human potential is no longer hindered by the burden of disease. Wave is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. For more information on Wave’s science, pipeline and people, please visit
www.wavelifesciences.com
and follow Wave on
X
and
LinkedIn
.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding our plans to present and discuss our preclinical data supporting WVE-007 for obesity at ObesityWeek
®
; our expectations for WVE-007 and the anticipated therapeutic benefits thereof; the anticipated timing of clinical data from our INLIGHT clinical trial of WVE-007; the novelty of our approach to silence INHBE mRNA in order to achieve healthy, sustainable weight loss and the potential for once- or twice-yearly dosing in light of the significant durability of the Activin E reductions observed in INLIGHT; the potential benefits of WVE-007 over existing obesity therapies; the potential of WVE-007’s mechanism (INHBE) as a novel and unique obesity treatment to induce fat loss, preserve muscle, and drive weight loss; our understanding of our preclinical data for WVE-007 and our expectations of how such data will translate in humans, including the ability to make meaningful improvements in cardiometabolic health, the main objective of any obesity; our understanding of the safety profile of WVE-007; beliefs that Wave’s portfolio of RNA medicines is differentiated, potentially best-in-class and potentially transformative; the broad potential of Wave’s RNA medicines pipeline and oligonucleotide chemistry and any benefits that may arise as a result thereof. The words “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “target” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release and actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of these risks, uncertainties and important factors, including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Wave’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as amended, and in other filings Wave makes with the SEC from time to time. Wave undertakes no obligation to update the information contained in this press release to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances.
Contact:
Kate Rausch
VP, Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
+1 617-949-4827
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Director, Investor Relations
+1 617-949-4043
[email protected]
Media
:
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Senior Director, Corporate Communications
+1 617-949-2936
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