Pfizer oral weight loss drug may be as effective as Ozempic injection by Novo Nordisk, study says

PSM News /

May 27, 2023

  • An oral drug from Pfizer causes a similar amount of weight loss as the blockbuster Ozempic injection, made by rival Novo Nordisk, according to results from a phase two clinical trial. 
  • The results were presented at a medical conference late last year but JAMA Network now has released the full peer-reviewed study.
  • New York-based Pfizer's pill could also offer an advantage as an oral treatment option rather than a frequent injection.  
  • Hollywood celebrities, social media influencers and even billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk have reportedly used popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to get rid of unwanted weight.

An oral drug made by Pfizer causes a similar amount of weight loss as rival Novo Nordisk's blockbuster injection Ozempic, according to a peer-reviewed study of phase 2 clinical trial results released Monday.

The results were presented at a medical conference late last year, and did not compare Pfizer's drug with Ozempic or other weight loss medications. JAMA Network only now is releasing a peer-reviewed study.

Pfizer's trial followed 411 adults with Type 2 diabetes who either took the company's pill, danuglipron, twice a day or a placebo. 

Body weight was "statistically significantly reduced" after patients took either 120-milligram or 80-milligram versions of danuglipron for 16 weeks, the study found.

Patients who took a 120-milligram version lost around 10 pounds on average over that time period, the study found.

Pfizer's drug could offer an advantage as an oral treatment option rather than a frequent injection. 

The study results also suggest danuglipron may be as effective for weight loss as Ozempic, though there are stark differences in dosage levels. 

A phase 3 clinical trial on Ozempic found that adults who took a 1-milligram version of the injection lost around 9.9 pounds on average over 30 weeks. Patients take that shot once a week. 

Ozempic is authorized in the U.S. to treat diabetes and is now being used off-label for weight loss.

Novo Nordisk's other drug, Wegovy, is the same medication, but it is approved for "chronic weight management."

A phase 3 clinical trial on Wegovy found that adults who took a 2.4-milligram version of the injection each week lost about 33 pounds on average over 68 weeks.

Danuglipron, Ozempic and Wegovy are part of a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists.

They mimic a hormone produced in the gut called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when a person is full. 

The drugs can also help people manage Type 2 diabetes because they encourage insulin release from the pancreas, lowering blood sugar levels.

New York-based Pfizer is the latest pharmaceutical company to dip into the blockbuster weight loss drug market. 

Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy catapulted to the national spotlight in recent years for being weight loss "

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