Cardiometabolic disease biotech NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals is shaking up its corporate image with a complete rebrand.
NeuroBo has evolved: Introducing MetaVia, the revamped name for the clinical-stage biotech focused on seeking new treatments for MASH and obesity.
The company didn't explain the new name, but “Meta” is the Greek preface for beyond or after, while “Via” means to go through, potentially setting it up to mean to “go beyond,” while also giving it good word recognition from the well-known tech brand Meta.
The removal of "neuro" from the company's name signifies its evolution from a neurology biotech following the 2019 merger with Gemphire, marking its transition to NeuroBo. It had then been focusing on drugs for Alzheimer's disease and painful diabetic neuropathy, but has since switched over to focus on cardiometabolic diseases.
Alongside the name change, the company will change its Nasdaq ticker to “MTV” by the end of the month. It will also launch a new website, metaviatx.com, and a new company logo. No management changes are expected as part of the rebrand.
The change-up comes amid some key trial data set to be posted in the coming weeks and months. This includes data for its midstage test of DA-1241, its experimental G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) agonist for the treatment of MASH, a form of fatty liver disease and a market potentially worth billions of dollars.
It’s also penciling in for the first quarter to release topline data from the planned phase 1 cohorts from the multiple ascending dose part of its test for DA-1726. This dual oxyntomodulin (OXM) analog agonist works as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR), and is being tested in obesity, another multi-billion-dollar market opportunity.
"Our corporate name change to MetaVia, ahead of important clinical milestones, represents the final step in our transition to develop innovative therapies for the management of cardiometabolic diseases,” said Hyung Heon Kim, president and CEO, in a release.
According to its third-quarter financials posted earlier this month, the company has just over $21 million in cash, which it projects should see it through for another 12 months.