Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc.

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops new small-molecule treatments to activate natural homeostatic pathways for metabolic diseases. The company focuses on biological pathways linked to hunger relief, aiming for significant patient outcomes. Aardvark Therapeutics develops selective compounds that target Bitter Taste Receptors (TAS2Rs) for conditions related to hunger. Its initial compounds target TAS2Rs found in the gut lumen, which typically respond to food chemicals and are part of the gut-brain axis. Research indicates that activating these receptors can trigger the release of natural signaling molecules such as cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY (PYY), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). TAS2Rs are a family of 26 nutrient-sensing G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) found in vertebrates, present in the mouth for bitter taste and highly expressed in other tissues where they regulate metabolic and inflammatory pathways. CCK is a pharmaceutical target known to suppress hunger. The company's wholly-owned lead product candidate, ARD-101, is an oral, largely gut-restricted small-molecule agonist of specific TAS2Rs in the gut lumen. ARD-101 induces the body's natural release of CCK through TAS2R agonism, differing from prior approaches that directly agonized CCK receptors and faced safety concerns due to systemic exposure and adverse effects like pancreatitis. Aardvark Therapeutics is not aware of any other approved or clinical-stage candidates targeting certain TAS2Rs besides its own.