AARD

Aardvark Therapeutics operates as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative small-molecule therapies targeting hunger suppression and metabolic disease treatment. The company's lead drug candidate, ARD-101, currently in Phase 3 clinical development, treats hyperphagia (insatiable hunger) associated with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. ARD-101 works by activating bitter taste receptors in the digestive tract, triggering local release of satiety hormones that activate gut-brain signaling pathways to suppress hunger. Aardvark plans to advance ARD-101 into Phase 2 trials for hypothalamic obesity, another rare condition characterized by uncontrolled appetite. The company's secondary program, ARD-201, combines ARD-101 with a DPP-4 inhibitor addressing limitations of current GLP-1 therapies for obesity treatment. This program splits into two Phase 2 trials: POWER, preventing weight rebound after GLP-1RA discontinuation, and STRENGTH, evaluating monotherapy and combination therapy for durable weight loss. Aardvark completed a successful $94 million initial public offering on NASDAQ and maintains $141.8 million in cash reserves supporting operations through 2027. The company raised $29 million in Series B funding led by Sorrento Therapeutics and $85 million in Series C financing, demonstrating strong investor confidence in its novel approach to treating metabolic diseases.