Novo Nordisk on Tuesday reported that its new obesity pill that targets the amylin hormone led to substantial weight loss in an early study, boosting the company’s pipeline of next-generation candidates that may be more effective than Wegovy.
In a Phase 1 trial, a 50-mg dose of the daily pill called amycretin, which activates receptors of both the amylin and GLP-1 hormones, led to 10.4% weight loss at about three months after the start of treatment. Participants who took two pills a day had 13.1% weight loss. Meanwhile, those on placebo experienced 1.1% weight loss, according to an abstract of data that will be presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
The findings underline the potential for greater and more rapid weight loss than what’s been seen with current drugs on the market. For comparison, Novo’s blockbuster Wegovy led to 15% weight loss in its pivotal Phase 3 trial lasting over a year.
