Biotech
Thursday, July 11th, 2024 1:53 pm EDT
Key Points
- Pfizer is moving forward with a once-daily version of danuglipron following positive early-stage study data. The company identified a formulation with the most favorable safety profile and physiological response, aiming to optimize the dose through upcoming trials and preparing for regulatory approval processes.
- Danuglipron, a GLP-1 agonist like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic, has shown efficacy in its twice-daily form. Pfizer aims for its once-daily formulation to compete in the obesity and diabetes market, projected to reach $100 billion by the decade’s end. Despite setbacks with previous versions, Pfizer remains committed to advancing its pipeline in obesity treatment.
- Pfizer is focusing on developing oral alternatives to injectable GLP-1 agonists to enhance patient convenience and address supply shortages. The company is also exploring partnerships or acquisitions with smaller drugmakers in the obesity treatment space while navigating leadership transitions, including finding a successor to outgoing Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Mikael Dolsten, who played a pivotal role in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine development.
Pfizer announced plans to advance its once-daily version of the weight loss pill danuglipron following promising results from ongoing early-stage studies. The company identified a formulation with a favorable safety profile and positive physiological responses. Further early-stage trials are slated for the second half of the year to determine the optimal dosage, with results expected by the first quarter of the next year. These trials will guide Pfizer’s regulatory approval applications. Dr. Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s outgoing Chief Scientific Officer, highlighted the drug’s efficacy in its twice-daily form and expressed optimism about its potential competitiveness in the GLP-1 agonist market. Notably, Pfizer did not observe liver safety issues in patients using the once-daily formulation.
The move underscores Pfizer’s ambition to capture a share of the burgeoning GLP-1 agonist market, projected to reach $100 billion by the decade’s end, despite earlier setbacks. Pfizer halted a previous twice-daily version of danuglipron due to tolerability issues in mid-stage studies. Investor sentiment soured further when Pfizer discontinued a different once-daily pill in 2023 due to elevated liver enzymes in patients, adding to the challenges faced after the decline of its COVID-19 business. Nevertheless, Pfizer remains committed to obesity treatment, with several experimental drugs in its pipeline.
CEO Albert Bourla emphasized Pfizer’s belief in GLP-1s as a pivotal area for obesity treatment, acknowledging the potential beyond current offerings like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic. These injectables have seen rising demand despite cost and access hurdles. Pfizer aims to develop oral alternatives to mitigate supply shortages and improve patient convenience. While exploring partnerships and acquisitions in the obesity space, Pfizer continues to strategize its approach amidst cost-cutting efforts and leadership transitions, including the search for Dolsten’s successor.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/11/pfizer-weight-loss-pill-moves-forward.html
