Helix BioPharma Extends LEUMUNA™ Agreement with metaShape Pharma
Toronto, Ontario — February 5, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Helix BioPharma Corp. (TSX: HBP, OTC PINK: HBPCD, FRANKFURT: HBP0) has extended its Research and Exclusive Option Agreement with metaShape Pharma AG for LEUMUNA™ through December 31, 2028.
The agreement, originally established in April 2023 between metaShape and Laevoroc Immunology AG, grants metaShape an exclusive research license and an option to negotiate a commercial license for LEUMUNA within adipose tissue-related and metabolic diseases. metaShape refers to the compound internally as “MS 001”. The compound is being developed as an orally administered co-therapy to GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide, to improve adipose tissue reduction selectivity and weight loss durability.
Preclinical studies led by metaShape showed MS 001 increases inosine and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels, which supports enhanced mitochondrial function, increased energy expenditure in adipose tissue, and broader metabolic efficiency. Consistent with these effects, mice treated with MS 001 on a highly obesogenic diet showed improved weight loss outcomes and attenuated weight regain after GLP-1 withdrawal.
Following Helix’s acquisition of Laevoroc Immunology AG’s assets and related rights in November 2024, Helix became the successor licensor under the agreement. The parties have extended the option period through December 31, 2028, to advance research activities and support the program’s progression toward clinical-stage development.
According to the company, the extension preserves long-term optionality in high-value metabolic indications, while maintaining a strategic focus on its oncology assets in hard-to-treat cancers.
Randall Riggs, CEO of metaShape, said the extension aligns with a period of meaningful progress for metaShape. He added that metaShape is excited about the developments underway around MS 001.
Thomas Mehrling, CEO of Helix BioPharma, said the decision to extend this agreement is based on the emerging preclinical data around MS 001, particularly its effects on NAD⁺ biology and the reprogramming of fat metabolism.
Mehrling added that Helix is excited by the compound’s potential to benefit patients across distinct disease settings, with dosing and development approaches designed to reflect the unique needs of each indication, reinforcing the breadth of Helix’s science and its ability to generate value beyond oncology.
MetaShape Pharma, founded in 2023, is developing metabolic therapies designed to overcome the limitations of today’s GLP-1-based treatments. Its lead program, MS 001 (ulodesine hemiglutarate), is a preclinical-stage, oral small-molecule co-therapy designed to reprogram fat metabolism to enhance fat-selective weight loss, preserve muscle mass, and reduce weight regain, supporting more durable outcomes in obesity and cardiometabolic disease.
Helix BioPharma is an oncology company focused on near-term solutions for hard-to-treat cancers. The company’s pipeline is led by Tumor Defense Breaker™ L-DOS47, a clinical-stage antibody-enzyme conjugate. L-DOS47 has completed Phase Ib studies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and shares its CEACAM6-targeting foundation with Helix’s next-generation bi-specific antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), currently in discovery. The company also advances two pre-IND candidates: (i) LEUMUNA™, an oral immune checkpoint modulator aimed at achieving durable remission in post-transplant leukemia relapse, and (ii) GEMCEDA™, a first-in-class oral gemcitabine prodrug with bioavailability on a par with IV, designed to expand treatment options for advanced cancers.
Helix is listed on TSX (HBP), OTC PINK (HBPCD), and FWB (HBP0).
Source: Helix BioPharma
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