Novo Nordisk points out that the weight loss with the Wegovy pill is in line with the injection
Flags with the logos of the Danish pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of the blockbuster diabetes and weight loss medication Ozempic and Wegovy, are pictures, while the company introduces the annual report at Novo Nordisk in Bagsvaerd, Denmark on February 5, 2025.
Mads Claus Rasmussen | AFP | Getty Images
Novo Nordisk Said on Wednesday that the results of later studies on his obesity pill that once daily showed a “significant” weight reduction and tolerance, which corresponds to the Blockbuster injection Wegovy, while the drug manufacturers are fighting to bring oral treatment onto the market.
Results of the phase 3 study OASIS 4 showed that the oral semaglutide pill after 64 weeks in patients with obesity or obesity and at least one weight-related comorbidity led to an average weight reduction of 16.6 %, said the Danish pharmaceutical company.
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Martin Holst Lange, Chief Science Officer from Novo Nordisk, told CNBC that oral treatment is an important alternative to the existing once weekly injection and is called “Wegovy Pill”.
“Our task was to show that with the tablet we can achieve the same effectiveness and the same security and tolerance as with the injection preparation. We have now succeeded,” said Lange on the phone.
“Basically, this means that we can offer the patient the choice between the tablet and the injection preparation, and that will make a difference for some patients,” he added.
The oral treatment of Novo Nordisk is based on the same Semaglutid GLP-1 drug, which is also based on the existing treatments of the company against obesity and diabetes, Wegovy and Ozempic. An earlier Novo study showed that Wegovy reduces the weight by an average of 15 % in patients with obesity or obesity and at least one weight-related comorbidity.
The pill is currently being checked by the US Food and Drug Administration and submitted in February as part of a new Drug application application. A decision should be made in the fourth quarter of this year.
In the event of admission, the pill will be completely produced in the USA, the company said. This is done at a time when global pharmaceutical companies have increased their US investments due to the pressure of the Trump government to boost domestic production.
The race for the obesity pill
There is currently no oral versions of GLP-1 on the market for weight loss, but the competition is quickly tightened. Pill treatments are considered an important milestone for companies that want to make the medication more accessible, also for those who have an aversion to needles.
Analysts announced Reuters on Tuesday that the rival Eli LillyOrforlipron, the competitive pill against obesity, could receive an accelerated approval within one to two months of the FDA’s “Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher”-a new initiative to promote the drug development objectives of the Trump government.
Lange said Novo greeted “good competition”, but added that one focused on drug results, including long -term acceptance rates.
“We look at the data in this situation,” said Lange. “Semaglutid as a tablet has the potential to achieve a weight loss of 17 % and has a good safety and compatibility profile.”
“What we have seen in our competitor is a weight loss of a little more than 12 %. And here, too, we cannot make any direct comparisons, but at least we can recognize a demolition rate, which indicates that Semaglutide may also have one.” [more] Effective security and compatibility profile. “
In a Phase 3-Stain-1 Phase 3 study published on Tuesday, Eli Lilly said that Orforglipron had led to an average weight loss of 12.4 % in the highest dose after 72 weeks after 72 weeks.
Nevertheless, the US drug manufacturer said on Wednesday that his pill in the first comparison study, in which the effectiveness of the two medication in reducing blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes that exceeded Novo.
Both companies have experimented with new so-called next generation drugs, with Novo showing promising prospects on Tuesday with its long-effective Amylin analogue Cagrilintide-a new form of treatment for weight reduction.
This was done when the Danish company announced plans to reduce around 9,000 positions last week as part of a more comprehensive restructuring under the new CEO Mike Dustdar, who swore to realign the company after a phase of weaker growth.
“What we do now is to concentrate on our core business, namely diabetes and obesity. This includes continuous investments in both diabetes and obesity as well as, as we have discussed, in the associated comorbidities,” said Lange on Wednesday.
Clarification: This story has been updated to make it clear that there are currently no oral versions of GLP-1 that are approved for weight loss.
