Investigators Report ‘Incredible’ 13% Weight Reduction with Novo’s New Obesity Medication
Novo Nordisk is entering a competitive arena in the obesity treatment sector, particularly focusing on an oral weight loss tablet. Recently, a smaller biotech entity unveiled promising results regarding its oral GLP-1 treatment, while Novo Nordisk shared further details about the impressive 13% weight reduction linked to its therapeutic candidate, amycretin.
Key findings were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference, where Novo Nordisk noted that this significant weight loss was recorded at the 12-week mark for patients taking the trial medication, reflecting a notably larger reduction compared to those receiving a placebo. Investigators celebrated these findings as “remarkable,” indicating patients may continue to see improvements beyond the initial evaluation period.
On the heels of this announcement, Terns Pharmaceuticals disclosed that its competing oral drug, TERN-601, resulted in a weight loss of 4.9% over 28 days in its Phase II trials. Analysts from BMO Capital Markets drew comparisons to Eli Lilly’s orforglipron, which resulted in a 3.9% weight loss in similar studies, alongside Pfizer’s danuglipron that achieved a 5.2% reduction.
The previously mentioned 13% weight loss attributed to Novo’s amycretin had been shared earlier during the company’s investor day in March. However, further insights and analysis were provided during the conference presentation.
The trial included subjects with a BMI ranging from 25 to 39, excluding those with diabetes, who received either the amycretin dosage or a placebo daily. While priority was given to monitoring treatment-related adverse effects, secondary objectives offered insights into the potential weight loss benefits of the drug.
Regarding the main focus, Novo indicated that adverse reactions linked to the combined amylin and GLP-1 receptor agonist were primarily mild to moderate, with common issues being gastrointestinal disturbances such as nausea and reduced appetite. These side effects appeared to be dosage-related, with lower tolerability seen in higher doses initially; this led to the implementation of a gradual dose increase, resulting in a more favorable safety and tolerability profile as noted in the findings.
Researchers are anticipated to conduct longer, more comprehensive studies to delve deeper into the effectiveness of amycretin.
Amycretin stands out as a critical element of Novo Nordisk’s obesity treatment strategy, which features the combination therapy CagriSema, with Phase III results expected in late 2024. The company also maintains an expansive clinical initiative for semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes management.