Also known as ALT-801
Altimmune’s once-weekly balanced glucagon / GLP-1 dual agonist — developed liver-first, with a Phase 3 MASH trial (PERFORMA) that began in 2026.
Research refreshed
Pemvidutide is an investigational once-weekly peptide that activates the glucagon and GLP-1 receptors in roughly equal measure — a more glucagon-weighted balance than survodutide or mazdutide. Altimmune is developing it primarily for MASH rather than obesity. The Phase 2b IMPACT trial reported MASH resolution without worsening of fibrosis in 52–59% of treated participants at 24 weeks versus 19% on placebo, an effect sustained to 48 weeks, and the Phase 3 PERFORMA trial began in August 2026. It holds FDA Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy designations for MASH and is not approved.
Glucagon/GLP-1 dual agonists differ in how much glucagon activity they carry. Survodutide and mazdutide lean toward GLP-1; pemvidutide is closer to an even split. More glucagon means more direct action on the liver — the organ richest in glucagon receptors — which is the rationale for developing it as a liver drug first.
It also takes a distinct approach to tolerability. Instead of a conventional fatty-acid chain, the peptide carries a glycolipid surfactant-like moiety (Altimmune’s EuPort domain) intended to slow entry into the bloodstream and flatten the concentration peak, with the aim of allowing dosing without a long titration.
In the Phase 2 MOMENTUM obesity trial, the 2.4 mg dose produced 15.6% mean weight reduction at 48 weeks. In the Phase 2b IMPACT trial in biopsy-confirmed MASH, 59.1% and 52.1% of participants on 1.2 mg and 1.8 mg achieved MASH resolution without worsening of fibrosis at 24 weeks versus 19.1% on placebo; fibrosis improvement did not reach statistical significance at that early timepoint. The 48-week data reported in December 2025 showed the effect was sustained, with adverse-event discontinuations below 2%. The global Phase 3 PERFORMA trial began enrolling in August 2026, testing 1.8 mg and 2.4 mg on biopsy endpoints, with a 52-week readout expected in 2029. Mid-stage trials in alcohol use disorder and alcohol-associated liver disease are also running.
Balanced (approximately 1:1) agonism at the glucagon and GLP-1 receptors. The glucagon arm drives hepatic fat oxidation and energy expenditure; the GLP-1 arm supplies appetite and glycemic effects. A proprietary glycolipid side chain slows absorption to blunt peak concentrations.
Behind every vial of Pemvidutide is the same exacting pipeline every research peptide runs — but the chemistry plays out differently for this molecule. Here is how Pemvidutide, specifically, is brought into being.
Pemvidutide begins not as a powder but as a specification. Before a single bond is made, the target sequence, salt form, and purity threshold are written down as the contract the finished material must meet.
Pemvidutide is assembled by solid-phase peptide synthesis — the chain grows one protected residue at a time on resin, and what you fail to build cleanly here you pay to remove later. It also carries fatty-acid acylation, an extra step beyond a plain chain that adds both capability and cost.
The crude mixture — Pemvidutide plus its deletions and side products — is then separated on preparative HPLC, and where the cut is taken decides the difference between a genuinely pure peptide and a barely-passable one.
A real batch of Pemvidutide proves itself: identity confirmed by mass spectrometry, purity read directly off an analytical HPLC trace, water and counterion content measured. That batch-specific certificate of analysis is the only honest way to know what is actually in a vial of Pemvidutide — and a short, cold, accountable chain of custody is how that purity survives the trip to your bench.
Producing Pemvidutide to a genuine purity spec means solid-phase synthesis, preparative HPLC purification, and batch quality control — none of it cheap, and none of it something you can verify by eye.
Don't judge a vial by its cake. A fluffy, good-looking lyophilized powder reflects bulking agents and freeze-drying parameters — not purity. Insist on a batch-specific certificate of analysis.
Recent clinical trials and publications mentioning Pemvidutide, pulled automatically from ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed and refreshed daily. Listings are unfiltered search results, not curated endorsements.
Pemvidutide (ALT-801) is an investigational once-weekly glucagon / GLP-1 dual receptor agonist from Altimmune, developed mainly for MASH (fatty liver disease with inflammation) and also studied in obesity and alcohol-related conditions.
All three activate the glucagon and GLP-1 receptors, but pemvidutide is closer to a 1:1 balance, giving it relatively more glucagon activity. It also uses a glycolipid side chain to slow absorption. Its lead indication is MASH rather than obesity.
In the Phase 2b IMPACT trial, 52–59% of participants on pemvidutide achieved MASH resolution without worsening of fibrosis at 24 weeks versus 19% on placebo, sustained through 48 weeks. Improvement in fibrosis itself was not statistically significant at 24 weeks.
Yes — the Phase 2 MOMENTUM trial reported 15.6% mean weight reduction at 48 weeks on the 2.4 mg dose. Obesity is not currently its lead development program.
No. It is investigational; the Phase 3 PERFORMA trial in MASH began in August 2026 with a readout expected in 2029. This page is a research reference, not medical advice.
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