By Sriparna Roy (Reuters) -Novo Nordisk said a higher dose of its drug Wegovy led to greater weight loss in patients during a late-stage trial, but the results fell short of the weight loss achieved with Eli Lilly’s rival drug Zepbound, according to analysts. The Danish drugmaker’s U.S.-listed shares dropped 2.8% to $80.72 on Friday, […]
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Novo Nordisk says its obesity drug in higher dose shows 20.7% weight loss
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By Sriparna Roy
(Reuters) -Novo Nordisk said a higher dose of its drug Wegovy led to greater weight loss in patients during a late-stage trial, but the results fell short of the weight loss achieved with Eli Lilly’s rival drug Zepbound, according to analysts.
The Danish drugmaker’s U.S.-listed shares dropped 2.8% to $80.72 on Friday, with the company’s blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy among the 15 drugs targeted for Medicare price negotiations for 2027 in the United States.
Patients on the once-weekly 7.2 milligram dose of Novo’s drug for 72 weeks lowered their weight by 20.7% during the trial, compared with 17.5% for the 2.4 milligram dose and 2.4% for the placebo.
Results from a separate trial that were released in 2022 showed patients taking a high dose of Lilly’s Zepbound saw more than 20% weight loss.
“The results give us greater confidence in long-term tirzepatide (Zepbound) market share,” Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger said on Friday.
Novo’s shares have been pressured since last year, when the company also suffered a setback after its experimental drug CagriSema showed lower-than-expected weight loss.
In December, Lilly said patients taking Zepbound lost 47% more weight than those who were given Wegovy in the first large, head-to-head trial of the highly in-demand rival medicines.
Detailed results from Novo’s trial testing the higher dose of Wegovy, which contains the active ingredient semaglutide, are expected to be presented at a scientific conference in 2025, according to the Danish drugmaker.
Results from a second late-stage trial testing a 7.2 milligram dose of Wegovy in adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity are expected within the next few months.
(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Terje Solsvik and Shounak Dasgupta)