Zealand Pharma A/S Reports Positive Phase 1a SAD Results For Kv1.3 Channel Blocker ZP9830, Showing Strong Safety, Tolerability And Dose-Proportional PK

Zealand Pharma A/S, a biotechnology company focused on advancing metabolic health innovations, announced positive topline results from the Phase 1a single ascending dose portion of its first-in-human clinical trial evaluating ZP9830, the company’s Kv1.3 channel blocker. The study was conducted as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center trial involving healthy male volunteers and was designed to assess safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.

In this initial single ascending dose stage, ZP9830 demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile. The treatment produced no dose-limiting toxicities, and no significant safety issues emerged during the study. All treatment-emergent adverse events reported were mild, non-serious, and consistent with the expected safety profile for an early-stage clinical candidate. Additionally, no clinically meaningful findings were observed in vital signs, ECG readings, physical examinations, or laboratory tests. The pharmacokinetic results showed dose-proportional increases across the evaluated dose levels, and data from the intravenous arm indicated that the subcutaneous formulation exhibited very high bioavailability.

David Kendall, Chief Medical Officer of the company, noted that the results align well with expectations for a differentiated immunological therapy built around a novel mechanism of action. He emphasized that the data not only reinforce confidence in ZP9830’s potential across autoimmune and inflammatory conditions but also highlight the company’s strengths in peptide engineering, particularly in pursuing targets that have historically been difficult to address.