Amgen‘s obesity drug, MariTide, showed encouraging interim results in a mid-stage trial of the most significant. Nondiabetic patients on monthly or less often doses achieved a 20% loss in body weight over a year, and those with obesity and Type 2 diabetes experienced reductions of up to 17%. Maybe more importantly, the trials did not indicate plateauing weight loss, suggesting it could continue beyond the 52 weeks of the study.
MariTide’s monthly or less-frequent dosing gives it an edge against weekly injectables such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. Still, analysts said the results are on par, but not better than, expectations for the red-hot weight loss drug market.
Despite its promise, Amgen’s shares fell more than 9% following the news, in part reflecting fears over side effects. There was a discontinuation rate of around 11% for side effects, mainly mild gastrointestinal side effects. Analysts also pointed to how MariTide compared to rivals such as Zepbound, with lower discontinuation rates and similarly strong efficacy.
MariTide exploits a new mechanism, one of agonism to both GLP-1 and GIPR antagonism, with a potential for longer-lasting effects and weight maintenance. Amgen is taking these benefits into a late-stage trial already in development.
In a weight loss drug market that is slated to reach more than $150 billion annually by 2030, innovation and streamlined dosing may prove Amgen’s ticket to remaining competitive within the field, but it’s going head-to-head against tough players and growing expectations within this highly lucrative category.
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