MAR 001 is a first-in-class, monoclonal antibody targeting ANGPTL4, a protein implicated in lipid metabolism, which is highly expressed in adipose tissue.1 Findings from a phase IIa trial of MAR 001 (NCT05896254) were presented at the 93rd European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress, 4–7 May, 2025 in Glasgow, UK.2,3 The study aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of MAR 001 in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and elevated remnant cholesterol levels who remained at high cardiovascular risk despite current treatment options.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 55 participants with hypertriglyceridemia. Participants were assigned to receive either MAR 001 150 mg, 300 mg, or 450 mg or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was to assess the safety and tolerability of multiple doses of MAR 001 at 12 weeks, while the secondary endpoints involved assessing the effects of MAR 001 on triglyceride and remnant cholesterol metabolism at 12 weeks.
Results indicated that MAR 001 led to a placebo-adjusted mean reduction in remnant cholesterol of up to 52.5% and a placebo-adjusted mean reduction in triglycerides of up to 52.7%. In participants with baseline triglyceride levels ≥200 mg/dL, placebo-adjusted mean reductions were more pronounced, with up to 66.0% and 64.0% reductions in remnant cholesterol and triglycerides, respectively.
The treatment was generally well tolerated, with no serious adverse events or deaths reported. No changes were observed in systemic inflammatory biomarkers, mesenteric lymph node size, or local inflammation and no participants discontinued the trial due to adverse effects. Based on these results, a Phase 2b trial of MAR 001 is planned to take place in the second quarter of 2025 to further evaluate its efficacy and safety in a larger cohort.
References
- Medthority. MAR-001 Shows Promise in Cardiovascular Risk Trial. 2025 [Press release]. Available at: https://www.medthority.com/news/2025/5/positive-data-from-phase-iia-trial-of-mar-001-presented-at-eas-congress-for-treating-residual-cardiovascular-risk.–marea-therapeutics (accessed 14 May 2025).
- Clinicaltrials.gov. Study of MAR001 in Adults With Metabolic Dysfunction. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05896254. Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05896254 (accessed 14 May 2025).
- A Novel ANGPTL4 Inhibitory Antibody Safely Lowers Plasma Triglycerides and Remnant Cholesterol in Humans. Presented at EAS 2025, Glasgow, 7 May, 2025. Abstract Number: 1320.
Further content in cardiovascular disease.
Editor: Victoria Jones, Senior Content Editor.
Disclosures: This article was created by the touchCARDIOLOGY team utilizing AI as an editorial tool (ChatGPT (GPT-4o) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat.) The content was developed and edited by human editors. No funding was received in the publication of this article.
Cite: Monoclonal Antibody Targeting ANGPTL4 Shows Lipid-Lowering Effects in High-Risk Cardiovascular Patients. touchCARDIOLOGY. 14 May 2025.
SIGN UP to touchCARDIO!
Join our global community today for access to thousands of peer-reviewed articles, expert insights, and learn-on-the-go education across 150+ specialties, plus concise email updates and newsletters so you never miss out.
