Ribo Life Science Announces Phase 1 Clinical Results for Lipid-Lowering siRNA Drug RBD5044 at ESC 2026

Suzhou, China — August 31

Suzhou Ribo Life Science Co., Ltd. unveiled promising Phase 1 clinical data for its experimental lipid-lowering drug at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026 on Sunday, showing that a single dose of the therapy could slash triglyceride levels by as much as 70% in patients with elevated levels of the blood fats.

The results, presented alongside a second cardiovascular study at the conference in Rome, add to growing evidence that targeting a little-known protein called apolipoprotein C-III — or ApoC3 — could offer a powerful new way to tackle a major driver of heart disease.

The drug, called RBD5044, is a small interfering RNA, or siRNA, molecule designed to silence the gene that produces ApoC3 in the liver. Built on Ribo Life Science's proprietary RiboGalSTAR liver-targeting platform, the GalNAc-conjugated siRNA is being developed to treat hypertriglyceridemia, a condition marked by dangerously high levels of triglycerides that affects millions worldwide and significantly raises the risk of cardiovascular events.

According to the clinical data, a single injection of RBD5044 suppressed ApoC3 levels by up to 84% in patients. That suppression was accompanied by a triglyceride reduction of up to 70%, and — notably — the effect proved durable. Over a six-month follow-up period, patients' triglyceride levels remained stably below 50% of their baseline values, the company said.

Beyond the raw numbers on triglycerides, the treatment appeared to produce a broad improvement in patients' overall lipid profiles, along with favorable shifts in lipid-related proteins and inflammatory biomarkers.

That finding aligns with a separate study Ribo Life Science presented at the same conference, which found that patients with higher fasting triglyceride levels also tended to have higher levels of inflammation, worse metabolic profiles, and poorer cardiovascular function as measured by imaging markers. The twin findings suggest that elevated triglycerides, inflammation, and cardiovascular health are tightly interlinked — and that silencing ApoC3 could yield benefits that extend well beyond simply lowering triglyceride numbers.

"The comprehensive research results indicate that the benefits of ApoC3 silencing are not limited to triglyceride reduction," the company said in a statement. "By targeting a key driver of elevated blood lipids, this therapy has the potential to intervene in the underlying metabolic and inflammatory pathological processes that drive the development and progression of cardiovascular disease."

On safety, RBD5044 showed good tolerability across the dose range tested. At the highest dose, no dose-dependent adverse reactions were observed, and no elevation in liver enzymes was detected — a meaningful data point given that liver safety is a standard concern for therapies targeting hepatic pathways.

The company said the safety and efficacy results support RBD5044's potential to become a "best-in-class" therapy among ApoC3-targeted treatments.

RBD5044 is now in Phase 2 clinical trials in both Sweden and China, Ribo Life Science said.

Ribo Life Science, also known by its subsidiary brand Ribocure Pharmaceuticals, has positioned itself as a specialist in RNA-interference therapies — a class of medicines that works by silencing specific genes rather than blocking proteins. The approach has gained traction in recent years with regulatory approvals for siRNA drugs in areas ranging from cholesterol management to rare genetic diseases.

The ESC data release marks the latest public milestone for the company's cardiovascular pipeline and signals its ambition to compete in a crowded but high-stakes field where new therapies for lipid management remain in strong demand.