By Fineline Cube 
Sino-US firm Eccogene Inc., a partner of UK major AstraZeneca (AZ, NASDAQ: AZN), announced the first patient dosing of a Phase Ib study for next-generation oral small molecule AZD5004/ECC5004 in China. The drug had previously entered Phase I clinical studies in the U.S.
Drug Development
AZD5004/ECC5004 is an investigational oral small-molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA). It is under development for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity/overweight with at least one comorbidity.
Partnership and Licensing
The molecule was developed by Eccogene, which granted AstraZeneca global licensing rights in November 2023 in a deal worth up to USD 2.01 billion. Eccogene retains co-development and commercialization rights for the molecule in the Chinese market.-Fineline Info & Tech