Andrew Butler, Ph.D., foundational researcher in MC3R and MC4R biology, and the neuroendocrinology of metabolic disease and homeostasis

Michael Cowley, Ph.D., renowned researcher in melanocortin signaling, energy homeostasis, and obesity, with drug development expertise

Richard Skipworth, M.D., internationally recognized clinician and researcher in cancer cachexia and cachexia clinical trial design

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kalohexis, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company harnessing the melanocortin system to shape the next era of metabolic disease care starting with obesity and cancer cachexia, today announced the formation of its Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) comprising of Andrew Butler, Ph.D., Michael Cowley, Ph.D., and Richard Skipworth, M.D. The SAP will work alongside the Kalohexis management team to advance its proprietary pipeline of central melanocortin-3 and -4 receptor (MC3R/MC4R) dual agonists and antagonists for metabolic disorders, including obesity and cancer cachexia.

“Establishing our Scientific Advisory Panel with internationally recognized experts in melanocortin biology, metabolic disease, and cancer cachexia brings invaluable expertise to guide the development of Kalohexis’ programs targeting MC3R and MC4R,” said Russell Potterfield, Chief Executive Officer of Kalohexis. “Drs. Butler, Cowley, and Skipworth have made pioneering contributions to the fields of melanocortin biology, weight regulation, and cancer cachexia, and we are honored to welcome them as our founding scientific advisors. Their deep research and clinical expertise will be invaluable as we rewrite the melanocortin opportunity to help patients with metabolic disorders live healthier lives.”

The founding members of Kalohexis’ Scientific Advisory Panel are:

• Andrew Butler, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine. His research focuses on neuroendocrine and central nervous system control of energy balance, glucose homeostasis, and body composition, and on neuroendocrine mechanisms for prolonging the health span. Dr. Butler is internationally recognized for his foundational research on the melanocortin system, including defining the roles of MC3R and MC4R in the regulation of feeding, energy expenditure, and adiposity. He was awarded the Lilly Mid-Career Scientific Achievement Award from The Obesity Society in 2008, and has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association, Novo Nordisk, and Biomeasure (a subsidiary of Ipsen). Dr. Butler received his Ph.D. in Endocrinology from the University of Auckland.

“Kalohexis has made tremendous advances in demonstrating how dual MC3R/MC4R activation restores metabolic balance in obesity and cancer cachexia, while addressing key issues that have limited first-generation melanocortin programs. I am excited to work with Kalohexis and my fellow SAP colleagues as the company works to treat both ends of metabolic dysregulation and capitalizes on the broad potential of the melanocortin system to help millions of people with metabolic disorders,” said Dr. Butler.

• Michael Cowley, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Physiology at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. His laboratory investigates the central neural circuits governing energy homeostasis, appetite, and body weight regulation. Dr. Cowley is internationally recognized for his foundational contributions to the neurobiology of the melanocortin system; his research has advanced the understanding of how disruptions to central melanocortin signaling contribute to obesity and metabolic disease and has informed the development of melanocortin-targeted therapeutics. Dr. Cowley has authored or co-authored more than 120 publications and is an inventor on 85 patents. He was awarded The Australian Science Ministers Prize for Australian Life Scientist of the Year in 2009, and the inaugural Jacques Miller Medal for Experimental Biomedicine from the Australian Academy of Science in 2014. Dr. Cowley received his Ph.D. in Physiology from Monash University.

“The obesity field is evolving from a simple focus on the quantity of weight loss to an understanding of the importance of the quality of weight loss. 710GO represents a differentiated treatment option for general obesity that could enable healthier, more durable weight loss than incretins. I look forward to helping advance Kalohexis’ melanocortin-based pipeline, which activates both MC3R/MC4R to establish a new metabolic set point for the body to actively maintain,” said Dr. Cowley.

• Richard Skipworth, M.D., Consultant General and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Honorary Professor, University of Edinburgh. His clinical and translational research focuses on cancer cachexia, sarcopenia, and perioperative nutrition, particularly in patients with upper gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers. Dr. Skipworth is internationally recognized for his contributions to the clinical characterization and treatment of cancer cachexia, including work that has informed contemporary consensus definitions and outcome measures for the syndrome; he has served as an investigator on multiple multicenter clinical studies evaluating cachexia therapeutics. Dr. Skipworth has authored or co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications addressing cancer-associated weight loss and muscle wasting. He is Vice President of the international Cancer Cachexia Society and co-leads the Caledonian Cachexia Collaborative, a consortium of Scottish universities advancing cachexia research. Dr. Skipworth received his M.D. with Distinction from the University of Edinburgh.

“Despite its prevalence and impact on patients’ survival, cachexia remains an area of significant unmet need in cancer care with currently no FDA-approved treatments. I am excited to contribute my expertise to help advance mifomelatide as a potential treatment option designed to decrease metabolism and restore appetite in patients with cancer cachexia,” said Dr. Skipworth.

About Kalohexis, Inc.
Kalohexis, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company, spun out of Endevica Bio in March 2026, shaping the next era of metabolic disease care by harnessing the melanocortin system, the body’s natural regulator of metabolic homeostasis, to help people live healthier lives. Kalohexis’ therapeutic peptide candidates are designed to safely and effectively drug central melanocortin-3 and -4 receptors (MC3R/MC4R) to treat many metabolic disorders. Kalohexis’ lead pipeline programs are 710GO, an oral MC3R/MC4R dual agonist to induce healthier, more durable weight loss in general obesity, and mifomelatide, a MC3R/MC4R dual antagonist to treat cachexia in patients with advanced cancers. For more information, visit www.kalohexis.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Investor and Media Contact:
Argot Partners
kalohexis@argotpartners.com 

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SOURCE Kalohexis