Monte Rosa's MRT-8102 Reduces Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers

By Bobby Samwell • Thursday, October 01 13:02 • Permanent Link

Monte Rosa Therapeutics said its lead inflammatory-disease drug candidate, MRT-8102, cut multiple cardiovascular risk biomarkers in a phase 1 study of 108 obese subjects with elevated cardiovascular risk, with the strongest signals appearing across plaque-inflammation and thrombosis markers.

The company said MRT-8102 produced a median reduction of about 80% to 90% in NEK7 across the three once-daily dose levels tested — 5 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg — and that biomarker reductions were broadly similar at all three doses.

Among the key markers tied to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, median levels fell 56% for calprotectin, 46% for S100A12 and 51% for SAA. In the subgroup with the highest baseline levels, HMGB1 dropped 40% and IL-1β fell 37%.

Other inflammatory and thrombosis-related measures also moved lower. Fibrinogen declined 28%, IL-6 fell 54% and hsCRP dropped 85%. Monte Rosa said all three doses brought hsCRP down to levels comparable with healthy volunteers.

The company also said MRT-8102 reduced lipoprotein(a) by 24%, and that unlike IL-6 receptor blockade, the drug did not raise LDL-C or triglycerides.

Safety data were similar to placebo. Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 33% of MRT-8102-treated participants versus 30% of placebo recipients. No serious adverse events were reported, and the company said there was no evidence of increased infection risk.

Monte Rosa said roughly 30% of the study population carried NLRP3 risk alleles, and that these carriers showed higher baseline levels of several markers, particularly DAMPS and IL-1β.

The company outlined three planned phase 2 studies for MRT-8102: GFORCE-2 in stable coronary artery disease, expected in the first half of 2027; GEMINI-1 in gout, expected in the fourth quarter of 2026 or first quarter of 2027; and GALAXY-1 in moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa, expected in the first half of 2027. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved 1.62% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $11.93. If you want to know more, read the company's complete 8-K report here.

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