Viking Therapeutics’ obesity pill met weight reduction goals of its Phase 2 test, but gastrointestinal side effects led to high discontinuation rates. Even so, analysts see potential for a lower dose of the Viking drug as a maintenance therapy.
Response Pharmaceuticals takes a new approach to weight loss with an oral small molecule designed to inhibit a protein called iMTP to reduce uptake of fats and cholesterol. While this drug’s lead indication is addressing weight gain in patients taking antipsychotics, the company is also exploring other metabolic indications such as patients who need a post-GLP-1 therapy.
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GLP-1s are a breakthrough, but they are not the end of the story. To ensure lasting success, we must pair pharmacological interventions with behavioral support, personalized data, and continuous guidance.
Instead of an engineered peptide to activate gut receptors to trigger metabolic effects, Syntis’s technology forms a coating in intestines that has the effect of redirecting nutrients, mimicking an effect of gastric bypass surgery. In other obesity medicine news, Protagonist Therapeutics revealed a drug candidate that puts it in competition with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, among others.
The first Phase 3 results for Eli Lilly’s daily pill orforglipron show statistically significant reductions in blood sugar and body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes. The pharmaceutical giant plans global regulatory submissions starting at the end of this year.
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals drug Imcivree met the body mass index reduction goals of a Phase 3 test in hypothalamic obesity, an acquired form of obesity stemming from dysregulation of the MC4R pathway in the hypothalamus. The engineered peptide drug is already approved for two genetically driven types of obesity.
Yusuf Qasim, President of Payments Optimization at Zelis, discussed how the company is transforming healthcare payments from a fragmented, patchwork system into a modern, digital infrastructure.
Novo Nordisk gets global rights to Lexicon Pharmaceuticals’ LX9851, an oral small molecule with a first-in-class approach to sparking weight loss. The licensing agreement comes months after Lexicon reported encouraging preclinical data from tests of LX9851 in combination with semaglutide, the main ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.
Novo Nordisk is licensing rights to a United Biotechnology drug that sparks metabolic effects by binding to and activating receptors for GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. Separately, the pharma giant said its recently announced discounted price for obesity medication Wegovy is now expanding to traditional pharmacies.
Roche will share in developing and commercializing petrelintide, a clinical-stage Zealand Pharma drug that activates the amylin receptor to spark weight loss. This agreement represents the highest total financial consideration in the obesity field to date.
CagriSema, a dual-acting drug in development by Novo Nordisk, met the goal of a Phase 3 test in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. But the topline results don’t show an advantage over Eli Lilly’s commercialized obesity medication, Zepbound.
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Wegovy will ship directly to eligible patients through NovoCare, an online pharmacy established by Novo Nordisk. The product’s price matches a recent price cut for Zepbound offered by Eli Lilly through its own direct-to-patient online platform.
For GLP-1 receptor agonists specifically, adherence challenges are a major concern, as these medications require long-term use to achieve meaningful health benefits in chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity.
Through a new partnership, members of the Midwest Health Purchasers Collaborative can access Vida Health’s obesity care solutions.
Obesity care company knownwell expanded into six new clinic locations across greater Chicago. The company now operates eight clinics, as it has existing locations in Boston and Dallas. Knownwell also provides virtual care services to patients across New England, Texas and Illinois.
GLP-1 drugs dominate the obesity market, but Aardvark Therapeutics aims to curb appetite by going after a different target: TAS2 receptors in the gut. The biotech’s lead drug candidate is in Phase 3 testing in Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes persistent hunger leading to overeating.