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Novo \u200bNordisk said on Monday its next-generation experimental drug, CagriSema, delivered an \u200cestimated average weight loss of 12.4% in a late-stage trial in patients with diabetes, outperforming Eli Lilly\u2019s rival drug.<\/strong><\/p>\n It has been viewed as a successor to Novo\u2019s blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, \u200bwhich faces patent expiries after 2030, and could help the Danish drugmaker \u200bclaw back ground lost to Lilly in the fast-growing weight-loss market.<\/p>\n In \u2060a head-to-head trial earlier this year, the drug fell short of Lilly\u2019s Zepbound on \u200bweight loss, marking a setback for Novo.<\/p>\n CagriSema is a weekly injection that combines cagrilintide, \u200bwhich mimics pancreatic hormone amylin, and semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy.<\/p>\n At Novo\u2019s capital markets day on Monday, the company detailed a multi-year rollout for its next-generation obesity injectables, targeting a launch \u200bof its CagriSema combination early next year.<\/p>\n Novo\u2019s U.S.-listed shares were down more than \u200b4% before the bell as analysts questioned the drugmaker\u2019s pricing power and dealmaking strategy ahead of \u200clooming \u2060patent expiries.<\/p>\n In the late-stage study, a 1 mg dose of Novo\u2019s drug CagriSema was superior to Lilly\u2019s tirzepatide at 5 mg for weight loss, the company said on Monday. Lilly\u2019s tirzepatide, the active ingredient in its diabetes drug Mounjaro and obesity \u200bdrug Zepbound, showed a \u200bweight loss of \u20609.1%.<\/p>\n While the low-dose data is encouraging, the findings were less impactful given tirzepatide has already been proven superior to higher \u200bdoses of Novo\u2019s CagriSema in obesity, said BMO analyst Evan \u200bSeigerman. In another late-stage study, the drug showed a 21% weight loss at a 1.0 \u2060mg dose \u200bcompared to placebo in adults with obesity.<\/p>\n A decision \u200bfrom the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the company\u2019s application for CagriSema for weight management is \u200bexpected in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In patients \u2060with diabetes, Novo\u2019s drug also showed demonstrated non-inferior blood sugar reduction compared to Lilly\u2019s tirzepatide.<\/p>\n