Weight loss drugs have become a hot topic as public health authorities and pharmaceutical companies seek solutions to the growing global obesity epidemic.
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A oral medicine created 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 two clinical trial results released Monday.
The results were presented at a medical conference late last year and did not compare Pfizer’s drug to Ozempic or other weight loss drugs. JAMA network is just now releasing a peer-reviewed study.
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Pfizer’s trial followed 411 adults with type 2 diabetes who took the company’s pill, danuglirontwice a day or a placebo.
Body weight was “statistically significantly reduced” after patients took 120-milligram or 80-milligram versions of danugliprone for 16 weeks, the study found.
Patients who took a 120-milligram version lost an average of about 10 pounds over that 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 that danugliprone may be just as effective for weight loss as Ozempic, although there are wide differences in dosage levels.
a phase three clinical trial on Ozempic found that adults who took a 1-milligram version of the shot lost an average of about 9.9 pounds over 30 weeks. Patients take that injection once a week.
Ozempic is authorized in the US to treat diabetes and is now used off-label for weight loss.
Novo Nordisk’s other drug, Wegovy, is the same drug, but it is approved for “chronic weight management.”
a phase three clinical trial on Wegovy found that adults who took a 2.4-milligram version of the shot each week lost an average of about 33 pounds 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 sends a signal to the brain when a person is full.
The drugs can also help people manage type 2 diabetes because they stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas, which lowers blood sugar levels.
New York-based Pfizer is the latest pharmaceutical company to enter the blockbuster weight-loss drug market.
Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy catapulted into the national spotlight in recent years for being “wonders” of weight loss.
Hollywood celebrities, social media influencers and billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk have reportedly used the popular injections to shed unwanted weight.
But experts participation the drugs can further perpetuate a dangerous diet culture that idealizes weight loss and thinness.
Some patients who stop taking the drugs also complain of weight gain that is difficult to control.
More than 2 in 5 adults are obese, according to the National Health Institutes. About 1 in 11 adults is severely obese.
Clarification: The headline of this article has been updated to remove a reference to evidence showing that Pfizer’s drug may work faster than Ozempic. Although the amount of weight loss from Pfizer’s drug occurred in about half the time for the same amount of weight as with Ozempic, the dosage of Pfizer’s drug was significantly higher than Ozempic’s.