Words by Isabel O’Brien
Another obesity drug could be on its way to the market after Roche announces positive results for its drug in a phase I trial. The results showed a clinically meaningful, placebo-adjusted mean weight loss of -6.1% over four weeks. The once-daily pill is being tested in patients with obesity and without type 2 diabetes.
Roche’s Chief Medical Officer, Levi Garraway, said the company was “pleased” with the results and hoped the drug would eventually help patients with obesity and glycaemic control indications. Roche’s drug is part of the second generation of weight-loss drugs, after injectables, which could offer patients a more convenient method of administration.
Another company working on a once-daily pill is Pfizer, which is due to start trials in the second half of 2024. The reworked drug is being investigated after the company had to drop a different candidate last year due to concerns about liver safety. Other companies in the ring include injectable market leaders Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
Obesity is one of the world’s most pressing health challenges, with around 50% of the world’s population expected to be obese or overweight by 2035. As of March 2024, there were 124 obesity treatments in the pipeline: 61 in phase 1, 47 in phase 2, eight in phase 3 and eight on the market, according to IQVIA.
