KoBioLabs, a company specializing in microbiome drug development, said Wednesday that it has been granted a Chinese patent for KBL983 (Akkermansia muciniphila), a strain to treat obesity.

KoBioLabs has confirmed that KBL983, derived from the human microbiome, has the effect of inducing the expression of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a major metabolism-related hormone, and increasing the activity of brown fat.

KBL983 can be utilized to develop oral drugs for weight control, impaired glucose tolerance, and effective control of major metabolic diseases caused by obesity, such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and fatty liver, KoBioLabs said.

KoBioLabs published key findings on KBL983 in Nature Microbiology, one of the world's leading journals in the field, titled "Akkermansia muciniphila secretes a glucagon-like peptide-1-inducing protein that improves glucose homeostasis and ameliorates metabolic disease in mice".

According to KoBioLabs, KBL983 is expected to be effective in treating obesity at a more fundamental level by regulating glycemia, protecting the intestinal wall, stimulating GLP-1 secretion, and restoring gut dysbiosis caused by high-fat diets, without the major side effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as the Yo-Yo effect and dyspepsia.

"The patent registration of KBL983, a key strain in our obesity pipeline, in China has recognized our unique technology," said a KoBioLabs official. "We will further accelerate our ongoing R&D and actively secure exclusive rights to KBL983 in major countries."