Arrowhead Research Corp. has launched a new nanomedicine company, Ablaris Therapeutics Inc., to commercialize weight-loss technology licensed from Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The Pasadena company, which starts or invests in health care and electronics companies that utilize tiny nanoparticles, on Monday said it will own about 55 percent of the start-up, control the board of directors and operate the subsidiary. Ablaris has raised $3 million in outside capital, including $500,000 from Arrowhead.

The technology developed by two doctors at the Anderson center is administered by an injection under the skin, and is designed to kill blood vessels that feed white fat tissue. The platform is broad and could lead to a large number of potential compounds, Arrowhead said.

“This is a very big opportunity for us and it combines all the components we look for when building a subsidiary,” said Arrowhead Chief Executive Chris Anzalone in a statement. “It addresses a large underserved market with world-class science at an advanced stage of development that is expected to move rapidly into the clinic.”

Ablaris should have the first drug candidate in human clinical trials next year, Arrowhead said. It will be aimed at patients with metabolic conditions.

Shares were up 2 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $92 cents in midday trading on the Nasdaq.