What Eolo Pharma does

Eolo Pharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay, and incorporated in Delaware, USA, developing first-in-class small molecule therapeutics for obesity and metabolic diseases. The company's lead compound, SANA (also known as MVD1), is an orally administered salicylic acid nitroalkene derivative that activates creatine-dependent thermogenesis — a newly validated mechanism that increases resting energy expenditure through enhanced mitochondrial respiration and fat oxidation, functioning independently of UCP1 and AMPK pathways. SANA has completed Phase 1a/b trials in Australia, with peer-reviewed results published in Nature Metabolism in June 2025 demonstrating approximately 3% weight loss after two weeks, improved fasting glucose and insulin resistance, and no serious adverse events. The company plans to initiate Phase 2 trials in 2025 as both standalone therapy and in combination with GLP-1 drugs.

The broader pipeline comprises 60 novel chemical entities (NCEs) across indications including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, NASH, hypertension, ALS, and Alzheimer's disease, with additional candidates such as Eolo40 (NF-kB inhibitor) and an MVD1 analog. Eolo Pharma operates a research-driven model with deep integration to Institut Pasteur de Montevideo (where the CMO serves as Head) and Universidad de La República, leveraging Uruguayan academic infrastructure for preclinical and clinical research. The board includes obesity medicine leaders (Fatima Cody Stanford, Arne Astrup) and biotech operators with prior exits and large-pharma backgrounds. The company is privately held and pre-revenue, having raised approximately $4.5M across two disclosed funding rounds (2020 and 2023), with revenue expected upon regulatory approval of pipeline assets.

Name

Eolo Pharma

Legal name

EoloPharma

Website

https://eolo-pharma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eolo Pharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing SANA/MVD1, a first-in-class oral small molecule that activates creatine-dependent thermogenesis for obesity and metabolic disease treatment. Founded 2017, headquartered in Uruguay, pre-revenue with Phase 1 results published in Nature Metabolism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Obesity and Metabolic Disease Therapeutics

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Cardiometabolic Pharmaceuticals (Cardiovascular/Diabetes/Obesity) (HLAIAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immunology & Inflammation Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAD), Endocrinology & Metabolic Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAD)

Keywords

• Obesity therapeutics
• Metabolic disease drugs
• Small molecule pharmaceuticals
• Clinical-stage biotechnology
• Creatine-dependent thermogenesis

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Pre-revenue clinical-stage company. Revenue expected to come from pharmaceutical product sales upon regulatory approval of SANA/MVD1 and other pipeline compounds for obesity and metabolic disease treatment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Eolo Pharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of first-in-class, orally administered small molecule therapeutics (lead candidate SANA/MVD1) that target creatine-dependent thermogenesis to treat obesity and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, NASH, and hypertension, as well as NF-kB inhibitors (Eolo40) for ALS and Alzheimer's. The company currently has no commercialized products and operates a proprietary NCE library of 60 novel molecules backed by over a decade of academic research at Institut Pasteur de Montevideo.

Product overview

Eolo Pharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of novel chemical entity (NCE) small molecule drugs focused on obesity and metabolic disease. The core product is SANA (also referred to as MVD1), a first-in-class oral small molecule that activates creatine-dependent thermogenesis to increase energy expenditure. The company's pipeline includes 60 novel molecules, with MVD1 as the lead candidate for obesity and its comorbidities (T2 Diabetes, NASH, Hypertension). Additional candidates like Eolo40 target NF-kB inhibition for neurodegenerative diseases. Eolo Pharma is headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay, and operates research collaborations with Institut Pasteur de Montevideo and Universidad de La República.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SANA (Salicylic Acid Nitroalkene) First-in-class, orally administered small molecule drug (salicylic acid nitroalkene) that pharmacologically activates creatine-dependent thermogenesis to increase resting energy expenditure and treat obesity and metabolic disease without suppressing appetite; functions independently of UCP1 and AMPK and is effective in thermoneutral conditions.
• MVD1 Lead candidate in Eolo Pharma's oral thermogenic NCE pipeline, targeting obesity and associated cardiometabolic complications (type 2 diabetes, NASH, hypertension); first-in-class small molecule that activates creatine-dependent thermogenesis and is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials.
• Eolo40 NF-kB inhibitor compound from Eolo Pharma's proprietary NCE library, being developed for potential applications in inflammation-related conditions including ALS and Alzheimer's disease where low-grade chronic inflammation is implicated.
• MVD1 Analog Analog of the lead compound MVD1 within Eolo Pharma's oral thermogenic NCE library, being developed to expand the obesity and related metabolic disorder therapeutic offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 3% body weight reduction after 2 weeks of highest dose treatment in Phase 1b trial
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institut Pasteur de MontevideocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEolo Pharma collaborates closely with Institut Pasteur de Montevideo on research and development of small molecules for metabolic, aging, and immune diseases. The company's CMO Carlos Batthyany serves as Head of Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, facilitating deep integration between academic research and company drug development efforts.
• Universidad de La RepúblicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Uruguay's public university for preclinical and clinical research on obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Researchers from the university collaborate with Eolo's team on drug development programs.
• Phase 1 Clinical Trial Sites (Australia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhase 1 study being conducted in Australia with approval from a national Human Research Ethics Committee. Study evaluating safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of MVD1 in healthy volunteers and overweight/obese patients.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Viking Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing both oral and subcutaneous therapeutics for obesity and metabolic disease, including VK2735 (oral and injectable GLP-1/GIP dual agonist). Direct peer because it operates in the same clinical-stage obesity space with similar orally administered development candidates and metabolic-disease focus.
• Structure Therapeutics: Clinical-stage company developing oral small molecule GLP-1 agonists (GSBR-1290) for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Direct peer because it competes head-to-head with Eolo in the oral, small-molecule obesity therapeutics category and is targeting similar patient segments.
• Terns Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral small molecule therapeutics for obesity (TERN-501, an oral THR-β agonist) and metabolic diseases including NASH. Direct peer because it pursues oral obesity mechanisms with similar stage and metabolic-disease indication breadth.
• Altimmune: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing pemvidutide, a GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist for obesity and metabolic disease. Direct peer because it is a similarly sized clinical-stage competitor in the obesity therapeutics space targeting body-weight reduction via novel metabolic mechanisms.
• Zealand Pharma: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing peptide-based therapeutics for obesity, including CagriSema in collaboration with Novo Nordisk. Direct peer because it operates in clinical-stage obesity drug development with comparable metabolic-disease pipeline breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Eli Lilly and Company: Global pharmaceutical leader in the obesity space with Zepbound (tirzepatide) and pipeline oral GLP-1 candidate orforglipron. Broad incumbent because it dominates the obesity therapeutics category with established commercialization that dwarfs any clinical-stage entrant.
• Novo Nordisk: Global pharmaceutical leader with Wegovy/Ozempic (semaglutide) and oral semaglutide, the dominant forces in obesity and metabolic disease therapeutics. Broad incumbent because it sets the standard of care Eolo would need to displace or complement.

Emerging players

• Madrigal Pharmaceuticals: Commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on MASH/NASH (resmetirom, Rezdiffra), a metabolic liver disease also in Eolo's pipeline. Emerging player in adjacent metabolic indications where Eolo's NASH pipeline candidates could overlap commercially.
• Kallyope: Clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gut-brain axis oral therapeutics for obesity and metabolic disease. Emerging player because it pursues oral, mechanism-distinct obesity treatments targeting similar unmet needs in the GLP-1-disrupted space.

Regional players

• Innovent Biologics: China-based biopharmaceutical company with mazdutide, a GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist in Phase 3 for obesity. Regional player because it operates a comparable obesity clinical-stage program primarily in the China market with limited direct competition in Eolo's geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eolo-pharma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eolo Pharma