Pfizer Discontinues Once-a-Day Experimental Obesity Pill Due to Liver Concerns
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has announced the discontinuation of its once-a-day experimental obesity pill, citing concerns regarding liver issues. However, the company is redirecting its efforts towards developing a twice-daily treatment called danuglipron.
Following the announcement, Pfizer’s stock experienced a 5% decline on Monday. The decision to halt the development of the therapy lotiglipron was prompted by reports of elevated liver enzyme levels among individuals who had taken the drug.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla expressed optimism about the potential of an obesity pill, stating that it could eventually become a $10-billion-a-year product for the company. However, this year has been challenging for Pfizer, with a 29% decrease in its shares due to the conclusion of COVID vaccine development and the decline in therapeutics that had been generating revenue for the past few years.
The pharmaceutical company aims to finalize plans for the danuglipron late-stage program by the end of the year. Additionally, Pfizer is working on a once-daily, modified-release version of the drug.
These developments come shortly after Pfizer’s competitor, Eli Lilly, released promising data on its own once-daily experimental pill, known as orforglipron. Analyst Robyn Karnauskas from Truist Securities commented that Lilly now holds an advantage in the race for a once-a-day obesity pill. Karnauskas emphasized the importance of a once-daily formulation for weight loss.
In a mid-stage study conducted by Pfizer last month, danuglipron was found to help patients lose weight at a similar rate to Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic in individuals with Type 2 diabetes.
The demand for treatments like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic, which are once-weekly injections for obesity and diabetes, has significantly increased in the United States. Industry executives and analysts predict that this demand could support up to 10 competing products, with annual sales potentially reaching $100 billion within a decade, primarily in the US market.
Pfizer assured that none of the patients involved in the lotiglipron trials reported liver-related symptoms or side effects, and there was no evidence of liver failure or the need for treatment. The company stated that liver enzyme elevations observed in the lotiglipron trials have not been observed in patients enrolled in danuglipron trials.
Key Points:
- Pfizer has decided to discontinue its once-a-day experimental obesity pill, lotiglipron, due to concerns about elevated liver enzyme levels in patients who took the drug.
- The company is shifting its focus to the development of a twice-daily treatment called danuglipron, with hopes of creating a successful product in the lucrative obesity medication market.
- Competitor Eli Lilly has made progress in the race for a once-a-day obesity pill with its own experimental drug, orforglipron, raising the stakes in the pharmaceutical industry’s pursuit of effective weight loss treatments.
Published in PakWeb, June 27, 2023.
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