Retail Traders Flock To ZyVersa As IC 100 Obesity Plan Looks To Fill GLP-1 Gaps

ZyVersa's IC 100 strategy focuses on targeting inflammasome-driven inflammation to enhance weight loss and improve metabolic function in obesity patients.

Shares of ZyVersa Therapeutics surged Wednesday, drawing heavy attention from retail investors after the company unveiled new plans to position its inflammasome ASC inhibitor, IC 100, as an adjunct to GLP-1 receptor agonists in addressing obesity-related cardiometabolic complications.

The stock closed up over 24% at $0.68 on Wednesday before paring gains in after-hours trading, falling 12.38% to $0.60.

In a shareholder letter, CEO Stephen C. Glover outlined a strategy to target inflammation-driven pathways that remain unaddressed by GLP-1 agonists such as semaglutide. 

While these drugs have transformed obesity treatment by inducing significant weight loss, Glover pointed to high discontinuation rates — up to 85% within two years among non-diabetic patients—and side effects including muscle loss and gastrointestinal issues as key limitations.

“While GLP-1 agonists have revolutionized obesity treatment, significant unmet medical needs remain,” Glover wrote.

ZyVersa’s IC 100 targets ASC and ASC specks, which play a central role in initiating and perpetuating inflammasome activation. 

Unlike most inflammasome inhibitors in development that target NLRP3, IC 100 is designed to broadly inhibit several inflammasomes implicated in obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetic nephropathy, including AIM2, NLRP1, NLRC4, and others.

Preclinical studies cited by the company demonstrated that IC 100 reduced inflammation and plaque formation in an ApoE knockout model of atherosclerosis, lowered fasting blood glucose in diabetic kidney disease models, and suppressed key proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β, IL-18, and IL-6.

ZyVersa said it will initiate a preclinical study combining IC 100 with semaglutide in H1 2025, file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in H2 2025, and begin Phase 1 clinical trials in H1 2026 focusing on overweight individuals with cardiometabolic risk factors.

Retail sentiment surged on Stocktwits, where message volume was marked “extremely high” and sentiment labeled “extremely bullish.” 

One user speculated the stock could rally to $2, while another suggested it looked “set up nicely” to retest the $1.05 pre-market high.

Shares of Zyversa have fallen 37.2% so far this year.

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