Zealand Pharma tracks worst day ever as obesity drug trial results disappoint

Zealand Pharma A/S

06/03/2026 08:17

** Shares in Zealand Pharma ZELA.CO tank 28%, on track for their worst day ever, after the Danish drugmaker and partner Roche's ROG.S experimental obesity drug's mid-stage trial results disappointed the market

** Jefferies says the weight loss of 10.7% at 42 weeks for petrelintide falls short of its 13-15% bar

** The data follows results for Eli Lilly's LLY.N amylin-mimicking drug candidate eloralintide, which helped patients lose as much as 20.1% of their weight after 48 weeks in a mid-stage study

** "It does not seem viable to push a best-in-class narrative at this stage," Jefferies says

** KBC echoes this by saying the outcome makes first-line positioning difficult; it views petrelintide as better suited for weight loss maintenance

** Roche shares are down 1.6% in early trading

** The Zealand Pharma stock is at the bottom of Europe's STOXX 600 index .STOXX, trading at its lowest levels since August 2023

(Reporting by Jagoda Darlak)

((Jagoda.Darlak@thomsonreuters.com; +48 58 769 65 40;))