Skye Bioscience Establishes Partnership with Arecor Therapeutics to Develop Enhanced Formulation of Obesity Candidate Nimacimab

Proprietary formulation technology being applied to potentially enhance properties of nimacimab

SAN DIEGO, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skye Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq: SKYE) (“Skye”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on unlocking new therapeutic pathways for obesity and other metabolic health disorders, today announced a formulation development collaboration with Arecor Therapeutics plc (AIM: AREC), the biopharmaceutical company advancing today’s therapies to enable healthier lives. The partnership aims to develop a higher concentration formulation of Skye’s CB1 inhibitor, nimacimab, using Arecor’s proprietary formulation technology platform, Arestat.

Skye is evaluating nimacimab, a first-in-class CB1-inhibiting monoclonal antibody, in its Phase 2a CBeyond clinical trial in patients with obesity and overweight. Data from the initial 26-week treatment period is anticipated in late Q3 or early Q4 2025.

Under the terms of the agreement, Skye will fund Arecor’s development activities with the option to license rights to the new proprietary formulation of nimacimab and associated intellectual property to further develop and commercialize the product.

Sarah Howell, Chief Executive Officer of Arecor, said: “We are pleased to partner with Skye to support the development of a novel, enhanced formulation of nimacimab, a promising first-in-class candidate with the potential to address significant unmet needs in metabolic disease. This collaboration highlights the strength of our proprietary Arestat technology in enabling the development of enhanced therapeutic products that can improve patient outcomes and supports our strategy of bringing innovative medicines to market that address significant unmet patient needs in high-value markets.”

Tu Diep, Chief Operating Officer of Skye, said: “Approved weight loss drugs have issues with tolerability and adherence, while the small molecule CB1 inhibitors raise concerns about cumulative exposure-related neuropsychiatric toxicities. Nimacimab already has an advantageous pharmacokinetic profile and to date it does not pose these issues. It has a potentially best-in-class half-life of 18–21 days--substantially longer than GLP-1-based therapies--and is being evaluated in a Phase 2a study with once-weekly dosing. Serving our goal of continuous innovation, we are pleased to work with Arecor on the goal of further enhancing nimacimab to improve patient compliance and treatment outcomes.”