Novo's next-gen obesity drug shows positive results, heads to late-stage testing
Novo Nordisk announced positive results from its mid-stage trial of amycretin, an experimental obesity drug, which demonstrated a significant weight loss of up to 14.5% in patients with type 2 diabetes over 36 weeks. Following the announcement, the company’s shares rose by 2.5%. The drug acts on the gut hormone GLP-1 and pancreatic hormone amylin, and the study involved 448 participants inadequately controlled on metformin. The results support amycretin's potential as a best-in-class treatment and indicate it is safe with mild side effects. Novo plans to initiate late-stage trials in 2026, aiming to extend its market presence beyond the upcoming patent expirations of current treatments.
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The study involved 448 participants with type 2 diabetes, who were inadequately controlled on metformin with or without an SGLT2 inhibitor, comparing the effects of amycretin to a placebo.
Martin Holst Lange, Novo's chief scientific officer, emphasized the data's validation of amycretin's best-in-class profile, highlighting its dual action mechanism targeting GLP-1 and amylin.
In early-stage trials, amycretin's weekly injections helped overweight patients lose 22% of their weight over 36 weeks, indicating strong efficacy.
The oral version of amycretin led to a weight loss of up to 13.1% after just 12 weeks in another early-stage trial conducted last year.
HSBC analysts noted that amycretin and other next-generation drugs are crucial for Novo to maintain earnings in light of potential 2031-2032 patent expirations for semaglutide.