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Weight-loss drug developers line up to tap market worth $150 billion

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound are up until now the leaders in the weightloss drug market, which is estimated to be worth about $ 150 billion by the early 2030s.

There are also a number of other drug developers intending to join the bandwagon. The following is a list of publicly noted business targeting the next huge blockbuster chance:

NOVO NORDISK

Novo's closely-watched weight problems drug candidate CagriSema assisted overweight patients cut their weight by 22.7% in a. late-stage trial, but that was below its own expectations of up. to 25% reduction.

The data compares to weight-loss of about 15% after 68 weeks. in a trial for Wegovy.

CagriSema is a weekly injection, which integrates semaglutide,. the active component in Wegovy and simulates the gut hormonal agent. GLP-1, and a different molecule called cagrilintide that simulates. the pancreatic hormone amylin.

The two hormones integrated suppress hunger and help control. clients' blood glucose.

Novo is also establishing a weight-loss pill, amycretin, which. helped obese participants lose 13.1% of their weight after 12. weeks of treatment in an early-stage study.

The company stated in September it plans to decide on more. studies for amycretin after data from an early study on a. subcutaneous variation of the drug, which is anticipated next year.

It is set to purchase 3 of contract drug producer. Catalent's fill-finish sites in Italy, Belgium and the U.S. to. help boost Wegovy's production.

Novo Holdings, the managing investor of Novo Nordisk,. completed its acquisition of Catalent on Dec. 18.

ELI LILLY

Eli Lilly's weight-loss therapy, Zepbound, got the green. light from the U.S. and UK regulators last year, leading the way. for an effective new competitor to Novo's Wegovy.

Earlier in December, Lilly said clients taking Zepbound. lost 47% more weight than those who were provided Wegovy in the. first large, head-to-head trial of the highly sought-after rival. medications.

In the 751-person trial sponsored by Lilly, Zepbound assisted. clients lose an average of 20.2% of their weight after 72 weeks. compared to 13.7% for the group treated with Wegovy.

In 2023, Lilly had actually stated a mid-stage trial of its. next-generation weight problems drug candidate, a once-weekly injection. of retatrutide, caused weight-loss of as much as 24.2% after 48. weeks.

Lilly is presently testing retatrutide in late-stage trials.

It is testing another speculative weight problems pill,. orforglipron, in a late-stage trial and anticipates to reveal data. from the research study in April 2025.

The greatest dosage of orforglipron caused 14.7% weight loss. after 36 weeks in obese patients, information from a mid-stage trial. had actually revealed.

PFIZER

In July, Pfizer stated it planned to get in clinical. trials later on this year for a reworked, once-a-day version of its. weight-loss tablet, danuglipron.

The drugmaker said in 2015 it was stopping further trials. of a twice-daily version of danuglipron.

ROCHE AND CARMOT REHABS

Roche obtained CT-388 as part of its $2.7 billion. buyout of Carmot Rehabs. Carmot's once-a-week injection. belongs to the very same class as Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, or. Zepbound.

In July, the company announced that a 2nd drug candidate. from its purchase of Carmot yielded positive lead to an. early-stage trial.

Roche said its experimental pill, which might attract. clients averse to injections, was well endured with mostly. moderate or moderate intestinal side effects comparable to those. seen in other weight-loss drugs.

AMGEN

In November, Amgen's closely-watched speculative. obesity drug MariTide assisted overweight patients shed up to. 20% of their body weight in an year-long mid-stage trial.

Analysts said MariTide's weight-loss advantage was in line. with Wegovy and Zepbound, however had a little more adverse effects.

MERCK

In December, Merck signed a licensing offer worth up. to $2 billion for Chinese biotech Hansoh Pharma's. experimental oral drug to treat weight problems, becoming a late. contender in the race to provide a weight-loss tablet to change. weekly shots.

The drug, HS-10535, is a GLP-1 receptor agonist prospect. similar to Wegovy and Zepbound.

ASTRAZENECA

AstraZeneca's experimental weight-loss pill,. licensed a year ago from China's Eccogene for approximately $2 billion,. was discovered to be safe and tolerable in an early-stage trial in. November.

The drugmaker stated it has actually progressed the once-daily pill,. called AZD5004, into mid-stage trials.

ALTIMMUNE

Altimmune said in 2015 its drug candidate,. pemvidutide, helped in reducing weight by 15.6% on average and revealed. continued weight loss at the end of treatment in a mid-stage. trial.

Clients, nevertheless, likewise experienced queasiness and throwing up of. moderate and moderate intensity.

VIKING REHABS

Viking Rehabs stated in February its. experimental drug, VK2735, assisted clients attain approximately 14.7%. suggest weight loss after 13 weeks of treatment in a mid-stage. research study, which had actually registered 176 overweight adults with a minimum of. one weight-related comorbidity.

In November, the business stated the drug helped 9 patients,. who received the highest 100 milligram dosage, lose approximately. 8.2% of their body weight after 28 days in an early-stage trial.

ZEALAND PHARMA

Danish biotech Zealand Pharma said in June a high. dosage of its weight-loss drug candidate petrelintide helped. decrease weight by a typical 8.6% after 16 weekly dosages in an. early-stage research study.

The company said in August it is set to start talks with. other pharmaceutical business in the second half of this year. for potential collaborations to establish and advertise. petrelintide.

Zealand is presently evaluating petrelintide in overweight or. overweight individuals without type 2 diabetes in a mid-stage study.

STRUCTURE THERAPEUTICS

Structure Therapies said in June its. experimental oral weight problems drug helped reduce weight by 6.2% on. average at the end of 12 weeks in a mid-stage study.

(source: Reuters)