Alimentary/Metabolic
Scrip surveys some of the more interesting Phase III clinical trial readouts expected this year.
Innogen is hoping the approval of its once-weekly GLP-1 drug Diabegone will allow it to chip away at Ozempic’s dominance in the Chinese diabetes market.
Investors sold off shares after Novo’s disappointing Cagrisema readout in December, but the company believes more trial results will show it can be the future of obesity treatment.
CEO Paul Hudson has declared that “immunology is effectively our obesity” and the French firm is looking to use its position of strength in the space and its healthy cash pile to bring in early-stage assets.
As Torrent joins Indian majors with plans to launch semaglutide in India and Brazil post patent expiry, market access topics like price and demand come up for discussion. Meanwhile, the supply chain is seen overcoming shortages
Backed by Versant Ventures, Helicore will pursue optimized therapy for underserved obesity patients with an antibody that directly antagonizes GIP and plans for antibody conjugate therapies.
The biotech announced results of the Phase IIb QUALITY trial of enobosarm in older patients taking Wegovy, showing reduced loss of lean mass.
The FGF21 analog is the first metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis drug to demonstrate benefit in cirrhotic patients. Several FGF21 agents are being tested in MASH.
Semaglutide 7.2mg bests placebo for weight loss at 72 weeks, but with efficacy lower than seen with Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema or Lilly’s Zepbound.
The company is moving quickly to bring its antibody oligonucleotide conjugates to patients in three separate muscular dystrophy diseases, causing unease for its rivals.
The company believes its WVE-007 can improve on GLP-1 agonists by preserving muscle mass while also not interfering with the pleasure of eating. Promising mouse data are still to be confirmed in humans, however.
The companies announced Phase II data showing a 22.8% mean weight reduction, but with no plateau, suggesting potentially further weight loss as time goes on.
The Phase IIa data for the next-generation GLP-1 agonist showed a decent efficacy profile with weekly dosing, but the company said it also supports giving the drug monthly.
IgA nephropathy has gone from having zero to three approved treatments in just a few years, with over half a dozen more in late-stage development. But there are still many unknowns.
While quieter than some recent years, 2024 did produce several clinical trial readouts destined to have an impact on their respective markets. Here, in roughly chronological order, Scrip takes a look at the 10 clinical stories that got readers clicking the most over the past 12 months.
A flurry of big readouts are expected in the supercharged obesity/diabetes space, with Novo Nordisk looking to make up ground against its rival Eli Lilly.
While Pfizer’s analysts’ meeting cheered its investors with clear guidance, Novo Nordisk presented disappointing obesity data. The true value of CagriSema cannot be estimated without more information, however.
Efficacy for the drug came in below investors’ expectations for beating Lilly’s Zepbound, while analysts said a lower percentage of people remaining on the highest dose suggested tolerability issues.
The keenly awaited REDEFINE 1 study of Novo Nordisk’s combination anti-obesity agent has disappointed, despite it providing nearly 23% weight loss over the 68-week study. The data leave the company in a less competitive position than hoped in the fast-changing obesity market.
Adam Steensberg talked to Scrip about his firm’s vision for obesity treatment, Zealand’s independence from neighbor Novo Nordisk, and the hunt for a partner for its amylin candidate, petrelintide.