Comparing the Competitors: Pfizer’s Danuglipron vs. Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic
A recent mid-stage study has shown promising weight-loss results for Pfizer’s diabetes drug, danuglipron, drawing an interesting comparison with Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic.
Key Points:
- Pfizer’s diabetes drug, danuglipron, demonstrated weight loss comparable to Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic in a mid-stage study involving type 2 diabetes patients.
- At its highest dose, danuglipron reduced both blood sugar and body weight after 16 weeks compared to a placebo.
- The trial involved 411 adults with type 2 diabetes, some of whom received the drug and others a placebo.
- A 120-milligram dose of danuglipron resulted in an average weight loss of around 4.6 kilograms (approximately 10 pounds) after 16 weeks.
- Pfizer also has another oral diabetes drug, lotiglipron, in the pipeline, which it may bring to late-stage development.
Additional Points:
- The news of the drug’s effectiveness boosted Pfizer’s share value by 4.5%.
- The weight loss treatment market is projected to hit $100 billion by the end of the decade, making it a focus of investor interest.
- Both danuglipron and Ozempic belong to a class of drugs that imitate the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), designed to suppress appetite and initially developed for type 2 diabetes treatment.
- Pfizer believes that an oral therapy could be more appealing to patients wanting to avoid injections.