Eli Lilly and Hong Kong-listed Laekna will collaborate to develop an experimental obesity drug that aims to help patients lose weight while preserving muscle, the biotech said on Wednesday.

Lilly will provide the funding and expertise to advance Laekna’s LAE102, a first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting the activin type IIA receptor to induce weight loss and boost muscle mass.

Eli Lilly (LLY) partners with Laekna Therapeutics to develop an obesity therapy that avoids muscle loss. Read more here.

Eli Lilly has partnered with Laekna to advance LAE102, an antibody targeting the ActRIIA receptor, for obesity and muscle regeneration. The collaboration, funded by Lilly, aims to enhance fat reduction and muscle preservation,