4 burning questions about Amgen’s obesity drug, a potential Wegovy and Zepbound competitor

Amgen’s comments Thursday that it’s “very encouraged” by interim Phase 2 data for its obesity drug have quickly sparked immense investor interest in what could be a potential contender with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound.

The injectable drug MariTide, designed to be given monthly, could be a more attractive option than Wegovy and Zepbound, which are both dosed weekly. While the Phase 2 trial is still ongoing, Amgen is already planning to run a broad Phase 3 program and scale up manufacturing “with both clinical and commercial supply in mind,” Chief Executive Bob Bradway said on an earnings call.

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Even though executives shared no data from the interim analysis of its injectable drug, excitement around the molecule has already sent Amgen’s stock up 12% Friday.

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