It’s been a topsy-turvy week for Novo Nordisk, makers of the popular weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. Fresh off the heels of a disappointing trial for one experimental drug, the company has just reported results for another drug that might be its best candidate yet.
On Wednesday, Novo Nordisk revealed the topline numbers for its Phase II trial of UBT251. People taking UBT251 lost up to roughly 20% of their baseline weight after 24 weeks—well above the typical pace of existing drugs on the market. Though still early in development, the findings seem to place UBT251 as one of the most impressive obesity therapies coming down the pipeline.
The future king of weight loss?
Novo Nordisk is developing UBT251 in conjunction with the Chinese company United Laboratories International Holdings Limited (TUL). It’s a triple-agonist drug, meaning it mimics the activity of three separate hormones that regulate our hunger and metabolism: GLP-1 (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy), GIP, and glucagon.
The Phase II trial was conducted in China and involved 205 people who were obese or overweight (average body mass index was 33.1). People were randomized to either receive one of three doses of UBT251 or a placebo.
Over a 24-week span, all three treatment groups lost substantially more weight than the placebo group (2% weight on average). And the best-performing lost up to 19.7% of their body weight on average. The drug also appeared to be safe and tolerable, with most adverse events being gastrointestinal and waning over time, similar to other GLP-1 medications.
Generally, these drugs take up to a year to reach their full peak of effectiveness, suggesting that UBT251’s ceiling has yet to be reached. There’s at least one other triple-agonist drug in clinical development, Eli Lilly’s retatrutide. In late-stage trials, people taking retatrutide have lost up to 28% of their body weight over a year’s time, the most impressive results seen for any weight loss drug to date. So it’s certainly possible that UBT251 could match or even surpass that success.
“We are very encouraged by these data from the trial in China, which demonstrate the potential of UBT251 and its differentiated clinical profile and safety and tolerability profile,” said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president, chief scientific officer, and head of research and development at Novo Nordisk, in a statement from the company.
Novo Nordisk’s lifeline
These latest results are a sorely needed win for Novo Nordisk.
On Monday, the company reported results from a separate trial of its experimental combination drug CagriSema (the GLP-1 mimic semaglutide plus the amylin mimic cagrilintide). While people who stayed on CargiSema over an 84-week span lost an average of 23% of their weight, they fared worse than people on Eli Lilly’s already approved drug tirzepatide, who saw an average of 25.5% weight loss.
These results are still better than the typical success seen with Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, and CagriSema remains on track to win FDA approval this year. But the company’s gambit to position CagriSema as the best obesity drug available in the near future objectively fell flat. Unsurprisingly, following the release of the results, Novo Nordisk’s stock prices took a sharp drop. Since last year, the company has experienced numerous setbacks, including hiring freezes and the departure of several senior members, including its CEO.
With UBT251 coming around the corner, Novo Nordisk may at least still have the chance to reclaim its throne in the obesity treatment field. Novo Nordisk has stated that it is moving ahead with another Phase II trial of UBT251 this year, while TUL will soon start a Phase III of its own.
All this competition is likely good news for people with obesity. More approved therapies will provide more options for people to choose from, should they not respond to an initial treatment. And historically, more entries in a drug class lead to lower prices over time. That said, it will take until 2030 for the first generics of semaglutide to reach the U.S.
