Zealand, Roche’s obesity drug helps patients lose up to 9.2% weight in mid-stage trial

Oct 7 (Reuters) – Zealand Pharma said on Wednesday its experimental drug helped people who are overweight or obese and have type 2 diabetes lose up to 9.2% of their body weight in a mid-stage trial. The Danish company is developing it with Roche.

• The 220-patient trial met its main goal, with patients taking the once-weekly petrelintide losing between 7.4% and 9.2% body weight after 28 weeks, depending on the dose, versus 2% with placebo

• Petrelintide lowered HbA1c by as much as 0.65%, while levels of the blood sugar measure rose 0.23% among patients receiving placebo, Zealand said

• About 1.9% of patients taking petrelintide discontinued treatment because of gastrointestinal side effects, compared with 1.7% of those on placebo

• Most gastrointestinal side effects were mild and occurred while doses were being increased, Zealand said

• Roche gained ​access to petrelintide through a collaboration and licensing deal worth up to $5.3 billion ​last year, giving it shared development rights to the therapy that mimics amylin, a hormone co-secreted with insulin

• The companies have started late-stage testing in about 7,000 people — with and without type 2 diabetes and those with established cardiovascular disease

(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Joyjeet Das)