An oral drug made by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) causes a similar amount of weight loss as rival Novo Nordisk’s (NYSE:NVO) blockbuster injection Ozempic, according to a peer-reviewed study of phase 2 clinical trial results released Monday.
The results were presented at a medical conference late last year, and did not compare Pfizer’s drug with Ozempic or other weight loss medications. JAMA Network only now is releasing a peer-reviewed study.
Pfizer’s trial followed 411 adults with Type 2 diabetes who either took the company’s pill, danuglipron, twice a day or a placebo.
Body weight was “statistically significantly reduced” after patients took either 120-milligram or 80-milligram versions of danuglipron for 16 weeks, the study found.
Patients who took a 120-milligram version lost around 10 pounds on average over that time period, the study found.
Pfizer’s drug could offer an advantage as an oral treatment option rather than a frequent injection.
The study results also suggest danuglipron may be as effective for weight loss as Ozempic, though there are stark differences in dosage levels.
A phase 3 clinical trial on Ozempic found that adults who took a one-milligram version of the injection lost around 9.9 pounds on average over 30 weeks. Patients take that shot once a week.
Ozempic is authorized in the U.S. to treat diabetes and is now being used off-label for weight loss.
Novo Nordisk’s other drug, Wegovy, is the same medication, but it is approved for “chronic weight management.”
PFE shares dwindled 62 cents, or 1.6%, to $38.12, while those for NVO dropped $3.56, or 2.1%, to $166.96.
