Israeli foodtech startup Lembas has emerged from stealth and reported that it has developed GLP-1 Edge, a bioactive peptide that triggers the manufacturing of GLP-1 and different intestine hormones that regulate urge for food and metabolism. GLP-1 is the premise for Ozempic. The corporate plans providing GLP-1 Edge as a capsule in addition to integrating it into meals as a type of “slimming meals.”
The corporate additionally introduced that it has raised $3.6 million in a pre-seed financing spherical led by FLORA Ventures, with participation from Bluestein Ventures, Recent Fund, Longevity Enterprise Companions, Maia Ventures, Siddhi Capital, Mandi Ventures and SDH.
Lembas was based in 2024 by Shay Hilel (CEO), Dr. Zohar Barbash (CTO), Prof. Maayan Gal (CSO) and Dr. Daniel Bar as a startup for the invention of meals components that may have a major well being influence utilizing AI, and the present product is its first.
GLP-1 is secreted by the physique naturally, following the consumption of sure meals, akin to meals excessive in fiber or protein. Injectable GLP-1 medication include a lot greater doses of the substance than the physique secretes by itself. Lembas’ objective was to search out these particular meals components that may result in excessive secretion of GLP-1.
GLP-1 medication akin to Ozempic, Mounjaro and others out there below growth, are given by injection of a hard and fast dose over a really long run. These medication result in a median weight lack of about 15%, which is presently the minimal threshold for competitors within the weight reduction injection market.
There are oral medication that obtain decrease weight reduction charges, and are additionally thought of main rivals resulting from their extra handy type of administration.
Lembas doesn’t see its product as a direct competitor to injectable medicines, however relatively as a product appropriate for individuals who don’t want to inject medication or who wish to cease utilizing the remedy and are involved about gaining weight. The advice could be to exchange one meal a day with a capsule, or with meals with the complement.
It’s tough to check the effectiveness of medicines with the effectiveness of such a product, as a result of regulation doesn’t require efficacy testing in meals merchandise, and Lembas doesn’t intend to conduct an efficacy trial in people, however solely a security trial as required for meals merchandise. In animal fashions, the corporate manages to attain about two-thirds of the load loss obtained with “semaglutide”, the lively ingredient in Ozempic.
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Lembas hopes its merchandise might be available on the market in 2027, though this is dependent upon agreements with meals and complement corporations. Israeli firm Epitomee, which developed a weight reduction capsule with a unique mechanism, signed an settlement with Nestle, which subsequently canceled the settlement after a scientific trial of the product didn’t obtain the efficiency stage desired by Nestle. Lembas will face comparable challenges in relation to convincing meals corporations that its product has a spot within the quickly growing world of GLP.
Revealed by Globes, Israel enterprise information – en.globes.co.il – on June 22, 2025.
© Copyright of Globes Writer Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2025.
