Hoth Therapeutics Announces Groundbreaking Positive Results: Hoth's HT-VA GDNF Surpasses Semaglutide in Weight Loss, Glucose Control, and Liver Health in Obesity Model

PR Newswire

In a head-to-head preclinical comparison, HT-VA co-developed with the United States Veterans Administration GDNF demonstrated superior efficacy compared with semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy®? and Ozempic®?) across key metrics, including weight stabilization, glucose tolerance, liver weight reduction, and adipose tissue control—particularly in female models

NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoth Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOTH), a patient-focused biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies for unmet medical needs, today announced compelling preclinical data from its VA-backed study on glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) as a novel treatment for obesity and metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). In a head-to-head comparison, GDNF demonstrated superior efficacy over semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy® and Ozempic®) in key metrics, including weight stabilization, glucose tolerance, liver weight reduction, and adipose tissue control—particularly in female models.

This breakthrough positions GDNF as a potential gamechanger in the $200 billion obesity market, offering a differentiated mechanism that could address limitations of current GLP-1 agonists like gastrointestinal side effects and muscle loss. With obesity affecting over 1 billion people globally and MASLD impacting up to 30% of adults, GDNF's multi-faceted benefits could revolutionize treatment paradigms.

Key Study Highlights:

• Superior Weight Management: In female mice on a high-fat Western diet, GDNF attenuated weight gain by 10-15%, leading to a plateau in the final weeks of treatment—unlike semaglutide, which showed no significant impact. Researchers noted that higher doses or longer durations could amplify GDNF's effects, suggesting even greater potential for sustained weight loss.
• Enhanced Glucose Metabolism: GDNF fully normalized fasting glucose and improved overall response to glucose challenges, outperforming semaglutide in females. Baseline improvements were also seen in males, indicating broad metabolic benefits.
• Liver and Adipose Health: GDNF reduced liver weight by 20-30% and prevented adipose tissue accumulation in females, surpassing semaglutide's effects. This underscores GDNF's promise in resolving fatty liver disease, a common complication of obesity.
• Study Design: Conducted at the Srinivasan Lab with VA support, the 12-week study used CF-1 mice to model human obesity. GDNF was administered subcutaneously with escalating doses (2-12 µg/mouse), compared to semaglutide (12 ng/g/mouse).

"These results are a monumental step forward for Hoth and the fight against obesity," said Robb Knie, CEO of Hoth Therapeutics. "GDNF not only matched but exceeded semaglutide in critical areas, opening doors to a new era of safer, more effective therapies. As we advance this program, we're excited about its potential to deliver life-changing outcomes for patients and significant value for our shareholders."

The study builds on prior research showing GDNF's protective role against diet-induced obesity. Future analyses will include liver pathology, lipid content, and gene/protein expression to further elucidate mechanisms. Hoth plans to accelerate GDNF toward IND-enabling studies, targeting clinical trials in 2027.

Hoth's GDNF program is part of a robust pipeline, including HT-001 (Phase 2 for cancer-related skin toxicities), HT-KIT (Orphan Drug Designation for mast cell cancers), and HT-ALZ (for Alzheimer's).

About Hoth Therapeutics, Inc.

Hoth Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative, impactful, and ground-breaking treatments with a goal to improve patient quality of life. We are a catalyst in early-stage pharmaceutical research and development, elevating drugs from the bench to pre-clinical and clinical testing. Utilizing a patient-centric approach, we collaborate and partner with a team of scientists, clinicians, and key opinion leaders to seek out and investigate therapeutics that hold immense potential to create breakthroughs and diversify treatment options. To learn more, please visit https://ir.hoththerapeutics.com/.

Forward-Looking Statement
This press release includes forward-looking statements based upon Hoth's current expectations, which may constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws, and are subject to substantial risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. These statements concern Hoth's business strategies; the timing of regulatory submissions; the ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of existing product candidates and any other product candidates we may develop, and the labeling under any approval we may obtain; the timing and costs of clinical trials, and the timing and costs of other expenses; market acceptance of our products; the ultimate impact of the current coronavirus pandemic, or any other health epidemic, on our business, our clinical trials, our research programs, healthcare systems, or the global economy as a whole; our intellectual property; our reliance on third-party organizations; our competitive position; our industry environment; our anticipated financial and operating results, including anticipated sources of revenues; our assumptions regarding the size of the available market, benefits of our products, product pricing, and timing of product launches; management's expectation with respect to future acquisitions; statements regarding our goals, intentions, plans, and expectations, including the introduction of new products and markets; and our cash needs and financing plans. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. You should not place reliance on these forward-looking statements, which include words such as "could," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "expect," "may," "continue," "predict," "potential," "project" or similar terms, variations of such terms, or the negative of those terms. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee such outcomes. Hoth may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including, without limitation, market conditions and the factors described in the section titled "Risk Factors" in Hoth's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Hoth's other filings made with the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All such statements speak only as of the date made. Consequently, forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as Hoth's current plans, estimates, and beliefs. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Hoth cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Hoth does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to update, republish, or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events, or circumstances or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events, except as may be required by applicable law.

Investor Contact:
LR Advisors LLC
Email: investorrelations@hoththerapeutics.com
www.hoththerapeutics.com
Phone: (678) 570-6791

SOURCE Hoth Therapeutics, Inc.