Published on 12/20/2024 at 1:45 p.m.
(Boursier.com) — Novo Nordisk plunged 18% on the stock market to 606.6 Danish crowns, after a session low of 526 crowns. The Danish pharmaceutical giant, known in particular for its anti-obesity blockbuster Wegovy, is relying on less conclusive results than expected from another anti-obesity product, CagriSema. The results in terms of weight loss of this drug candidate, the hoped-for successor to Wegovy, have therefore disappointed. In a context of fierce competition with the American group Eli Lilly In this segment of the fight against obesity, this news is confusing. The CagriSema trial showed the drug helped patients reduce their weight by 22.7%, much less than the 25% ambition after 68 weeks. The group adds that 40.4% would lose 25% or more. CagriSema is as efficient as Lilly’s Zepbound, but it is more complex to manufacture, notes manager Markus Manns, cited by Reuters. Lilly’s anti-obesity product, Zepbound in the United States, led to an average weight loss of nearly 23% during clinical trials.
CagriSema’s phase III data was based on approximately 3,400 people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater or people with a BMI of 27 and at least one weight-related comorbidity such as hypertension or cardiovascular disease . Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president of development at Novo, said he was encouraged by the data, noting that only 57% of patients in the trial reached the highest dose. The group intends to launch a new trial in the first half of next year to further explore the additional weight loss potential of CagriSema.
