Biomea Fusion Inc. (NASDAQ: BMEA) announced a research collaboration with the University of Leicester to evaluate its investigational drug icovamenib in combination with semaglutide for obesity treatment.

The study will be conducted as part of the University of Leicester's ongoing OPAL platform trial, led by Professors Melanie Davies and Thomas Yates at the Leicester Diabetes Centre. The randomized, double-blind trial will assess whether adding icovamenib to GLP-1 therapy enhances weight loss effects compared to semaglutide alone.

The experimental arm will evaluate icovamenib at 100 mg daily for 12 weeks combined with low-dose semaglutide for 24 weeks versus semaglutide alone for 24 weeks in overweight or obese individuals without type 2 diabetes. Enrollment is expected to begin in the third quarter, with primary outcome assessment at Week 24.

The collaboration aims to assess the combination therapy's impact on physical function, body weight, body composition, muscle health and metabolic outcomes. Preclinical data showed the combination enhanced weight reduction through fat loss while preserving lean mass in a diabetic rat model.

Icovamenib is an oral investigational small molecule currently in Phase 2 clinical development for diabetes treatment. The drug targets menin, a transcriptional regulator involved in beta cell dysfunction, and has shown potential to restore beta cell mass and function in preclinical studies.

Biomea Fusion will present related preclinical findings at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions on June 7, 2026. The company focuses on developing oral small molecule therapies for diabetes and obesity, targeting metabolic disorders affecting significant portions of global populations.