Novo Nordisk Says New Obesity Treatment Achieved 11.8% Body Weight Reduction In Late-stage Study

The company reported an average weight loss of 12.5 kg, compared to 2.5 kg with the placebo, in a trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of once-weekly Cagrilintide 2.4 mg monotherapy.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) announced on Tuesday that its new obesity treatment, Cagrilintide, reduced body weight by 11.8% after 68 weeks in a late-stage study.

The company reported an average weight loss of 12.5 kg, compared to 2.5 kg with the placebo, in the trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of once-weekly Cagrilintide 2.4 mg monotherapy, plus lifestyle intervention, for adults with obesity or overweight and a weight-related comorbidity without diabetes. The above levels of weight reduction were observed in participants who adhered to the treatment. Regardless of adherence, average weight loss with Cagrilintide was 11.5% compared to 3.0% with placebo after 68 weeks.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around NVO stock stayed within the ‘bearish’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume rose from ‘low’ to ‘normal’ levels. Shares of the company traded over 2% higher at the time of writing.

A Stocktwits user expressed disappointment that the stock rallied only 2-3% on good news.

Cagrilintide works differently from currently approved GLP-1-based treatments for weight loss, including Novo’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. The new drug mimics the naturally occurring hormone amylin that helps control blood glucose levels and appetite by slowing gastric emptying, reducing glucagon secretion, and promoting satiety.

The company also stated that approximately one in three participants receiving Cagrilintide achieved 15% or more weight loss, compared to approximately one in 20 participants receiving a placebo, when patients adhered to the treatment.

Novo stated that the drug was well-tolerated, while adding that the most common side effects were gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and constipation. These side effects were mainly temporary and mild to moderate, and 1% of participants discontinued the study due to nausea, compared to 0.1% of participants who received a placebo.

“We’re excited that these data, the first phase 3 data of a next-generation amylin therapy, show promise, and we look forward to further investigating cagrilintide’s potential in the dedicated phase 3 RENEW programme,” said Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of Research and Development at Novo Nordisk.

Another late-stage programme investigating the efficacy and safety of Cagrilintide in people with obesity or overweight is due to start in the fourth quarter of this year.

Separately, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Novo plans to seek U.S. regulatory approval for a high-dose version of Wegovy. Though the drugmaker hasn’t yet formally announced its U.S. plans, it intends to file for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, said Lange at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference in Vienna, according to the report.

NVO stock is down 34% this year and by about 58% over the past 12 months. 

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