What acmopatide is
Acmopatide (CT-868; Roche development code RG6641) is an investigational, once-daily, subcutaneously administered dual agonist at the GLP-1 and GIP receptors. It was developed by Carmot Therapeutics, which Roche acquired in a $2.7 billion deal, and it holds no marketing authorisation anywhere, including the UK. It belongs to the same receptor class as tirzepatide, the dual GLP-1/GIP agonist licensed in the UK for type 2 diabetes and for weight management — neither of which extends to type 1 diabetes.
The Phase 2 trial
The supporting study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial in 111 adults with type 1 diabetes and overweight or obesity (BMI of at least 27 kg/m²). Participants were randomised to acmopatide 1.8 mg, 4.1 mg or 6.6 mg once daily, or placebo, for 16 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in HbA1c — a marker of average blood glucose over the preceding two to three months — from baseline to week 16. Mean age was 41 years, mean baseline BMI 34 kg/m² and mean baseline HbA1c 7.5%.
What the data showed
At the 4.1 mg dose, HbA1c fell by 0.34 percentage points from baseline. Fifty-six per cent of the 4.1 mg group and 44% of the 6.6 mg group reached an HbA1c below 7% — the target used in diabetes management — against 33% on placebo. Body weight fell dose-dependently, by up to approximately 6.7%. Total daily insulin dose fell in the 4.1 mg and 6.6 mg groups, by up to 15% at the higher dose. The trial reported no episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycaemia and no new tolerability signal. The results were presented at the American Diabetes Association 2026 Scientific Sessions on 5 June 2026.
Further analyses were presented at the EASD 2026 annual meeting in September: weight loss was accompanied by a fall in total fat mass with minimal lean-mass loss, and the type 1 diabetes safety profile — diabetic ketoacidosis and severe hypoglycaemia — did not worsen.
Why the programme ended anyway
In July 2026, alongside its second-quarter results, Roche said it would not invest further in acmopatide despite the positive Phase 2 readout. The company said it would instead prioritise enicepatide, a once-weekly GLP-1/GIP agonist from the same Carmot acquisition, across type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular outcomes. Meeting a mid-stage endpoint and securing a licensed medicine are two different things; a 16-week surrogate endpoint is not a development decision.
The evidence, and its limits
The dataset is a single Phase 2 trial of 16 weeks, sponsor-presented and not peer-reviewed at the time of writing. The primary endpoint window barely covers one full HbA1c cycle, so durability beyond 16 weeks is uncharacterised. No dual GLP-1/GIP agonist is licensed for type 1 diabetes in the UK or anywhere else; acmopatide was never made available outside clinical trials and is not a UK-licensed medicine. Insulin remains the licensed pharmacological treatment for type 1 diabetes.
This article is AI-researched and editorially reviewed. It is provided for research and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Research peptides are not licensed for human consumption in the UK.