Pfizer’s Oral Drug Shows Similar Weight Loss to Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Phase 2 Study Reveals

(CTN News) – Pfizer’s oral drug induces the same weight loss as Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster injection Ozempic, according to phase 2 clinical trial results published Monday that experts examined in the field.

Pfizer’s treatment was not compared to Ozempic or any other weight reduction medications until the results were revealed at a medical conference at the end of last year.JAMA Network is only now publishing a study that underwent peer review.

Advantages of Pfizer’s Oral Treatment Option

In clinical research conducted by Pfizer, 411 persons with Type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to take either danuglipron twice a day or a placebo.

Following 16 weeks of treatment with either 120 mg or 80 mg of danuglipron, patients “statistically significantly reduced” their body weight.

The study indicated that patients who took the 120-milligram version dropped an average of about 10 pounds in that period.

Pfizer’s medication may be advantageous because it can be taken orally rather than requiring regular injections.

Although there are significant dose differences between the two, the trial results show that danuglipron may be just as effective for weight loss as Ozempic.

In a 30-week phase 3 clinical trial, adults are given an injection of 1 milligram Ozempic lost an average of 9.9 pounds. Once a week, the patient must inject themselves.

In the United States, Ozempic is approved for treating diabetes but is also being taken off-label to help people slim down.

Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy for Diabetes and Weight Management

Wegovy, another drug manufactured by Novo Nordisk, is identical to the original but is approved for “chronic weight management.”

Over 68 weeks, adults who took a 2.4-milligram weekly injection of Wegovy dropped an average of 33 pounds in phase 3 clinical trial.

There is a group of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, which includes Danuglipron, Ozempic, and Wegovy.

They work by triggering satiety signals in the brain in the same way that the gastrointestinal hormone GLP-1 does.

Drugs that stimulate insulin production in the pancreas can help persons with Type 2 diabetes control their condition by reducing their blood sugar levels.

New York-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has recently entered the multibillion-dollar weight reduction medicine industry.

Pfizer’s Entry into the Weight Loss Drug Market

Ozempic and Wegovy, produced by Novo Nordisk, have gained widespread attention recently due to their status as weight loss “miracles.”

Reported users of the popular injections include Hollywood stars, social media influencers, and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

However, professionals worry that the medications would help spread an unhealthy obsession with weight loss and thinness.

Some people who quit using the medication also report experiencing difficult-to-manage weight gain.

The National Institutes of Health reports that about 20% of Americans are overweight or obese. One in ten adults is severely overweight.