Biotech
Monday, December 4th, 2023 3:41 pm EDT
Key Points
- Pfizer Abandons Experimental Weight Loss Pill: Pfizer has decided to halt the development of its twice-daily weight loss pill, danuglipron, due to high rates of adverse side effects experienced by obese patients in a midstage clinical trial. This announcement follows the discontinuation of another once-daily weight loss pill by Pfizer six months earlier, emphasizing the challenges in creating effective, safe, and tolerable weight loss treatments.
- History of Failures in Obesity Drug Development: The difficulties in developing successful obesity treatments are underscored by historical failures in the pharmaceutical industry. Examples include Eisai’s lorcaserin, withdrawn in 2020 due to an increased risk of cancer, Sanofi and Aventis’ rimonabant, withdrawn in 2008 over serious psychiatric problems, and Abbott Laboratories’ sibutramine, removed from the market in 2010 due to unintended cardiovascular risks. These setbacks highlight the complex nature of developing drugs for obesity, with unintended side effects often leading to rejection or withdrawal.
- Recent Successes Amid Challenges: Despite historical setbacks, recent breakthrough medications like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro have gained popularity for their ability to cause significant weight loss safely. These drugs, along with Pfizer’s recent challenges, highlight the pharmaceutical industry’s ongoing efforts to strike a balance between efficacy and safety in weight loss treatments. The article also notes that recent evidence suggests some of the newly approved weight loss drugs may have positive effects on heart health, presenting a shift in the industry’s approach.
Pfizer has decided to discontinue the development of its twice-daily weight loss pill, danuglipron, following a midstage clinical trial where obese patients experienced significant weight loss but also faced high rates of adverse side effects. This move comes six months after Pfizer abandoned another once-daily weight loss pill due to elevated liver enzymes. The challenges faced by Pfizer highlight the difficulty of creating an effective, safe, and tolerable weight loss treatment. The pharmaceutical industry has witnessed success with recent medications like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, which have gained popularity and caused shortages due to their ability to induce significant weight loss safely. With approximately 40% of U.S. adults classified as obese, these drugs have become lucrative for the pharmaceutical industry.
However, the history of developing obesity drugs has been marked by failures, including unintended side effects such as elevated liver enzymes, cancer risks, cardiovascular risks, and serious psychiatric problems like suicide. One example is Eisai’s lorcaserin, withdrawn from the market in 2020 due to an increased risk of cancer. Sanofi and Aventis faced a similar fate with their obesity drug rimonabant, withdrawn in 2008 due to serious psychiatric problems, including suicide. Despite being approved in Europe, the drug never gained approval in the U.S. Abbott Laboratories’ sibutramine, a once widely used obesity treatment, was pulled from the market in 2010 due to cardiovascular risks.
While Pfizer’s recent challenges underscore the complexities in developing effective weight loss treatments, the success of newer drugs like Wegovy, which demonstrated positive effects on heart health, suggests a shift in the industry’s approach. The article emphasizes the ongoing struggle to find a balance between efficacy and safety in weight loss medications, despite recent breakthroughs.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/02/pfizer-weight-loss-pill-joins-list-of-obesity-drug-flops.html
