AstraZeneca obesity pill cuts 11.8% weight in mid-stage trial

AstraZeneca's experimental obesity pill elecoglipron helped patients lose 11.8% of their body weight in a mid-stage trial, the drugmaker said Monday.

"We had a very low rate of discontinuation, which really points to the effectiveness and durability of this therapy," Sharon Barr, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca, said.

The 36-week trial enrolled 310 adults with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related condition. Patients on the highest 75-milligram dose lost 11.8% of body weight, while those on 50 mg lost 9%. Nearly 89% of patients on the highest dose achieved at least 5% weight loss. In a separate trial in people with type 2 diabetes, the 75 mg dose led to 7.7% weight loss at 26 weeks and met the primary endpoint for blood sugar control.

The results give AstraZeneca a credible entry into the weight-loss drug market, projected to exceed $100 billion, where Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly currently dominate. Elecoglipron has already entered Phase 3 trials, and the company is exploring combination therapies with its kidney and heart failure drug Farxiga, an investigational cholesterol drug, and approved hypertension treatment Baxfendy.

The once-daily pill does not require fasting, a potential advantage over Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy version. AstraZeneca licensed elecoglipron from China's Eccogene in late 2023 for up to about $2 billion.

The most common side effects were gastrointestinal issues typical of GLP-1 medicines. At the 75 mg dose, 55% of patients reported nausea versus 20% on placebo, 41% had constipation versus 6%, and 27% experienced vomiting versus 5%. Despite these rates, only 5% of patients discontinued due to adverse events, compared with 17% for Eli Lilly's oral candidate Foundayo in its mid-stage trial.

The data were presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting in New Orleans and published in The Lancet. They follow Roche's presentation at the same conference showing its experimental injection enicepatide produced 22.7% weight loss after 48 weeks in a mid-stage trial.

"Our strategy is really differentiated by combination therapy," AstraZeneca Chief Financial Officer Aradhana Sarin told Bloomberg this month. Ruud Dobber, president of the biopharmaceuticals business, said at a briefing that less than 5% of patients currently receive treatment in the obesity market, pointing to the growth opportunity.

The low dropout rate and no-fasting requirement give elecoglipron a potential edge in a market where tolerability and convenience drive patient adherence. Investors will watch for Phase 3 data, expected to read out over the next 12 to 18 months, and for updates on the Farxiga combination trial.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.