Factbox: Novo Nordisk brings new contender in race for blockbuster obesity drugs

OPKO Health

07/03/2024 12:45

(Updates to add Novo's drug data in paragraphs 1, 4-6)
       March 7 (Reuters) - 
    Novo Nordisk  NOVOb.CO  said on Thursday that early trial
data for its highly anticipated experimental obesity drug showed
a higher weight loss compared with its blockbuster treatment,
Wegovy.
        Novo and Eli Lilly  LLY.N  are so far the leaders in the
weight-loss drug market, estimated to be worth $100 billion by
the end of the decade, with their powerful new drugs Wegovy and
Zepbound, respectively. 
    The following is a list of publicly listed companies
targeting the next big blockbuster opportunity: 
     
    NOVO NORDISK
    Novo's latest candidate, amycretin, helped obese patients
achieve 13.1% weight loss after 12 weeks of treatment.
        The data 
    compares
     to a weight loss of about 6% after 12 weeks in a trial for
Wegovy.
  
        Novo said it plans to begin a mid-stage study for
amycretin in the second half of the year with results due in
early 2026. 
  
    Novo Nordisk in August reported data from a large study,
which showed Wegovy also had a clear cardiovascular benefit.
Wegovy, which uses the same active ingredient as Novo's diabetes
drug Ozempic, was approved in 2021. 
    The drugmaker in June reported late-stage trial data from a
high-dose oral version of its drug, semaglutide, helping
overweight or obese adults lose 15% of their body weight, which
was in line with recent results for other experimental obesity
pills.
    The company said in February it will buy three of Catalent's
fill-finish sites - in Anagni, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; and
Bloomington, Indiana - from Novo Holdings for $11 billion to
help boost its production of Wegovy. The sites will be acquired
after Novo Holdings completes its Catalent acquisition.
    
    ELI LILLY
    Eli Lilly's weight-loss therapy, Zepbound, got the green
light from U.S. and UK regulators in November, paving the way
for a powerful new rival to Novo's Wegovy.
    The company reported $175.8 million in sales of Zepbound in
the first few weeks of its launch in December. The drug,
chemically known as tirzepatide, has been available as Mounjaro
for type 2 diabetes since 2022 and was used "off-label" for
weight loss.
    Lilly said in June a mid-stage trial of its next-generation
obesity drug candidate, a once-weekly injection of retatrutide,
led to a weight loss of up to 24.2% after 48 weeks.
  
    
    PFIZER
    Pfizer  PFE.N  said in December it was stopping further
trials of a twice-daily version of its oral weight-loss drug,
danuglipron.
    The decision comes after most patients in a mid-stage trial
dropped out with high rates of side effects such as nausea and
vomiting.   
    The company said it will instead focus on a once-daily,
modified release version of danuglipron. Data on how this
version interacts with the human body is expected next year.
    In June, Pfizer had scrapped the development of its
once-a-day pill due to concerns over liver safety. 
    
    ROCHE AND CARMOT THERAPEUTICS
    Roche  ROG.S  acquired CT-388 as part of its $2.7 billion
buyout of Carmot Therapeutics. Carmot's once-a-week injection
belongs to the same class as Eli Lilly's  LLY.N  Mounjaro, or
Zepbound.
    The newly acquired drug candidate has completed early-stage
trials and is ready to be tested on humans in the second of
three trial stages, Roche said. 
    
    AMGEN    
    Amgen's  AMGN.O  experimental obesity drug, AMG133, in
November showed a mean weight loss of 14.5% after 12 weeks of
treatment at the highest monthly dose.
      
    ALTIMMUNE
    Altimmune  ALT.O  in November said its drug candidate,
pemvidutide, helped reduce weight by 15.6% on average and showed
continued weight loss at the end of treatment in a mid-stage
trial.
    However, patients also experienced nausea and vomiting of
mild and moderate severity. 
    
    VIKING THERAPEUTICS
    Viking Therapeutics  VKTX.O  said in February its
experimental drug, VK2735, helped patients with obesity achieve
"significant" weight loss in a mid-stage study.
        VK2735 helped patients achieve up to 14.7% mean weight
loss after 13 weeks of treatment, according to data from the
study, which had enrolled 176 overweight adults with at least
one weight-related comorbidity.
    
    ZEALAND PHARMA 
    Denmark's Zealand Pharma  ZELA.CO  and Boehringer
Ingelheim's experimental obesity treatment achieved up to 14.9%
weight loss in a mid-stage trial in May.
    
    OPKO HEALTH
    Opko Health  OPK.O  has completed a mid-stage trial of its
obesity drug, pegapamodutide, which it expects will have fewer
side effects.

 (Reporting by Mariam Sunny, Pratik Jain, Sriparna Roy, Leroy
Leo and Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila,
Pooja Desai and Maju Samuel)
 ((Mariam.ESunny@thomsonreuters.com;))