Physician-scientist and acclaimed adipose tissue biologist to advise on first-in-class, oral MS 001 for obesity.
RIEHEN, BASEL, SWITZERLAND, February 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — MetaShape Pharma AG (“MetaShape”, or “the Company”) today announced that the Company has entered into a consulting agreement dated 5 January, 2026 (“the Agreement”) with Professor Shingo Kajimura, a world-leading authority in human bioenergetics and adipose tissue biology.
Under the Agreement, Professor Kajimura will advise MetaShape on the development strategy of MS 001 (ulodesine hemiglutarate), an oral inhibitor of purine nucleoside phosphorylase (“PNP”) currently in pre-IND development for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders. MS 001 is a first-in-class small-molecule drug designed to work alongside GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, to improve the quality and durability of weight loss. In preclinical studies, low doses of MS 001 (1 mg/kg; human equivalent dose: ~6 mg), in combination with semaglutide, activated energy-consuming processes in white adipose tissue (futile calcium cycling), leading to increased thermogenesis and selective fat loss while preserving muscle mass in diet-induced obese (“DIO”) mice. Administration of MS 001 has been shown to elevate inosine and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (“NAD+”) levels, which are consistent with the observed improvements in mitochondrial function, thermogenic activation, and broader metabolic benefits.
The phenomenon of “browning” white adipose tissue has attracted considerable attention as a potential disease-modifying approach to the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. In this process, energy-storing white fat cells are converted into so-called beige fat cells that actively expend energy, addressing the fundamental imbalance in energy homeostasis that drives obesity and metabolic disease.
For decades, the metabolic relevance of brown and beige fat cells was largely attributed to uncoupling protein 1 (“UCP1”), a mitochondrial protein that drives thermogenesis and was widely regarded as the predominant mechanism by which these cells counteract obesity. Professor Kajimura’s research fundamentally expanded this view by demonstrating that brown and beige fat cells regulate energy balance not only through UCP1-mediated thermogenesis, but also through UCP1-independent catabolic pathways, such as futile calcium cycling. Functionally, these pathways increase the breakdown and utilization of glucose and lipids, with important implications for the understanding and treatment of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease.
These contributions earned Professor Kajimura the 2025 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), honoring his pioneering work in human bioenergetics and adipose tissue biology. His research contributions have been recognized through numerous prestigious honors, including
the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, Pew Scholar, and multiple awards from leading scientific societies. Professor Shingo Kajimura is Investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Faculty Member of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).
Randall Riggs, MBA, CEO of MetaShape Pharma said, “We are excited to have Professor Kajimura’s invaluable contributions as we advance this convenient, orally administered, novel cardiometabolic drug that demonstrates weight loss synergies with GLP-1 agonists, while preserving lean muscle mass and minimizing weight re-gain effects seen upon discontinuing GLP-1 therapy.”
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About MetaShape Pharma
MetaShape Pharma is a privately owned biopharmaceutical company founded in 2023 on a bold premise: metabolic dysfunction is a solvable problem, if we treat it at its root. The Company is developing first-in-class metabolic therapies designed to overcome the limitations of today’s GLP-1-based treatments. Its lead program, MS 001 (ulodesine hemiglutarate), is a preclinical-stage, oral small-molecule co-therapy that reprograms fat metabolism to enhance fat-selective weight loss, preserve muscle mass, and reduce weight regain, supporting more durable outcomes in obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Learn more at www.metashapepharma.com.
Randall Riggs, MBA – CEO
metaShape Pharma AG
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