Novo Nordisk A/S’s NVO head of development, Martin Holst Lange, expressed strong confidence in the drugmaker’s ability to launch the pill version of its experimental weight loss drug, amycretin, within this decade.
The optimism follows the announcement of robust early trial data.
The company said early trial data for its experimental obesity drug amycretin showed a higher weight loss than its Wegovy (semaglutide) treatment.
In the Phase 1 trial, oral amycretin showed that participants lost 13.1% of their weight after 12 weeks. That compares to a weight loss of 5.9% after 12 weeks in a trial for Wegovy.
Reuters notes that over 80% of participants remained on amycretin after the trial period, indicating a high retention rate and suggesting the drug’s safety and tolerability.
Novo Nordisk will begin a Phase 2 trial of its experimental drug amycretin during later 2024, with results due in early 2026.
Novo Nordisk, traditionally recognized for its insulin production, has seen a significant shift in investor perception since the success of Wegovy.
The company anticipates that the newly developed obesity drugs, cagrisema and amycretin, will result in more significant weight loss than the widely used Wegovy.
Moreover, these drugs are expected to offer cardiovascular advantages similar to those of Wegovy. The goal is to introduce these drugs to the market before the patent expiration of semaglutide, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Wegovy.
The development plan aims to finalize both cagrisema and amycretin for obesity and diabetes within the next two years, well in advance of semaglutide’s patent expiry.
The company’s shares have tripled since the U.S. launch of Wegovy in June 2021. CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen anticipates an increased proportion of U.S. patients continuing the weekly injection for over a year as supply constraints ease.
Jorgensen also expects a growing adoption of obesity drugs as prices decrease over time, balancing with the introduction of new medicine generations that may justify higher prices in specific segments.
Addressing potential regulatory scrutiny, head of business development David Moore acknowledged the uncertainty regarding the U.S. regulatory review of Novo’s acquisition of three factories from Catalent Inc CTLT.
Price Action: NVO shares are down 1.99% at $133.22 on the last check Friday.
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