Alaunos ALN1003 Cuts HOMA-IR and Lowers Liver NAS Scores in Obese Mice
In diet-induced obesity mouse studies, ALN1003 significantly reduced fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (p=0.0006/0.0014), raised adiponectin-to-leptin ratio, and lowered liver NAS scores from 5 in controls to 2.7 and 1.3. Alaunos had $0.354 million cash on March 31, extending runway only into Q2 2026, and plans further financing to advance ALN1003 preclinical development.
1. Preclinical Efficacy Results
In non-GLP diet-induced obesity mouse models, ALN1003-treated animals exhibited significantly lower fasting insulin and HOMA-IR scores compared with controls (p=0.0006 and p=0.0014). The treatment group also showed numerically reduced leptin levels, significantly elevated adiponectin, and a higher adiponectin-to-leptin ratio, suggesting improved adipose endocrine signaling.
2. Liver Histology Findings
Blinded pathology on H&E- and Masson’s trichrome–stained liver sections revealed qualitative reductions in hepatic steatosis in ALN1003-treated mice. Mean NAFLD activity scores (NAS) fell from 5 in control samples to 2.7 in the 48-day study and 1.3 in the 18-day high-dose cohort, indicating a potential anti-steatotic effect.
3. Financial Position and Next Steps
As of March 31, Alaunos held $0.354 million in cash and cash equivalents, providing funding into the second quarter of 2026. The company plans additional financing to support dose optimization, exposure–response studies, expanded metabolic phenotyping, and further liver pathology characterization to advance ALN1003 toward clinical evaluation.