Novo Nordisk's Amycretin Shows Promise in Early Obesity Drug Trial

Novo Nordisk has unveiled promising early-stage data for its next-generation obesity treatment, amycretin, potentially setting the stage for a new era in weight loss medications. The Phase Ib/IIa trial results, released on Friday, show that the experimental drug helped patients lose up to 22% of their body weight over 36 weeks, sparking renewed interest in the company's obesity franchise.

Impressive Weight Loss Results

The randomized, placebo-controlled, and double-blinded trial enrolled 125 patients and tested three different doses of amycretin: 1.25 mg, 5 mg, and 20 mg. At the 20-week mark, patients receiving the 1.25 mg dose experienced a 9.7% reduction in body weight, compared to a 1.9% weight gain in the placebo group. By week 28, with the dose increased to 5 mg, weight loss reached 16.2%. The most significant results came at 36 weeks, with the 20 mg dose leading to a 22% weight reduction, while placebo recipients gained 2.0%.

Martin Lange, Novo Nordisk's executive vice president for development, expressed encouragement over these findings, stating that they "support the weight lowering potential of this novel unimolecular GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist."

Market Impact and Competitive Landscape

The news of amycretin's performance has had a significant impact on Novo Nordisk's market position. The company's shares rose by approximately 12% on the Danish stock exchange following the announcement, helping to recover some of the losses incurred after the disappointing Phase III results of CagriSema last month.

Analysts from BMO Capital Markets suggest that these results could "reopen the door in the eyes of investors with a next gen option beyond semaglutide." The potential of amycretin to compete with Eli Lilly's tirzepatide (Zepbound) and retatrutide has not gone unnoticed, with William Blair analysts noting that the results "further validate the amylin-based approach" in obesity treatment.

Technical Details and Future Developments

Amycretin is a long-acting agonist that targets both GLP-1 and amylin receptors, working to control blood sugar levels and modulate appetite. Novo Nordisk is developing both subcutaneous and oral formulations of the drug. The company had previously released Phase I data for the oral version at the 2024 European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting, showing a 13% weight loss at 12 weeks.

While the recent data is promising, some analysts, including those from William Blair, pointed out that Novo Nordisk did not provide detailed safety data in its press release. This information could have better contextualized amycretin's clinical profile for investors.

Novo Nordisk has announced plans for "further clinical development" of amycretin in obesity and overweight treatment, although specific details about future trials have not been disclosed.