Pfizer to Begin Clinical Trials for New Once-Daily Weight-Loss Pill
Pfizer plans to start clinical trials for a reworked, once-a-day version of its weight-loss pill, danuglipron, later this year. This follows the company’s decision to discontinue the twice-daily version of the drug last year.
Second-Generation Weight-Loss Pills
The new version of danuglipron is part of the second generation of weight-loss pills. These are being developed by companies including Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The aim is to provide a more convenient alternative to current weight-loss injections. Analysts predict that the weight-loss drug market, led by Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, could exceed $150 billion in annual sales by the early 2030s.
Development and Testing Plans
Pfizer has not provided a specific timeline for the development of the new danuglipron version. However, the company plans to evaluate multiple doses of the reformulated drug in the second half of this year before moving it into clinical trials. Last year, Pfizer focused on the new version after the twice-daily version saw high dropout rates in midstage trials due to side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Additionally, Pfizer had dropped another weight-loss drug, lotiglipron, because of safety concerns, including elevated liver enzyme levels in some patients.
Market and Analyst Insights
JP Morgan analyst Chris Schott noted that Eli Lilly’s experimental weight-loss pill has a significant time-to-market advantage over Pfizer’s. Schott expressed concerns about the side effects of Pfizer’s drug, stating that more clarity on its tolerability profile is needed for its success. Despite these challenges, Pfizer’s shares rose by 2.8% to $29.14 in premarket trading. This follows a significant drop in share value from $61 in December 2021 to $28.35 recently, primarily due to declining sales of COVID-19 products and concerns about its drug pipeline.
Promising Early Results and Industry Competition
Pfizer reported early study results supporting once-daily dosing, with no liver enzyme elevations observed in over 1,400 healthy adult volunteers. GLP-1s, originally developed for type 2 diabetes, work by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone to regulate blood sugar, slow digestion, and suppress appetite. Other companies, such as Amgen and Viking Therapeutics, are also developing next-generation weight-loss drugs.
Pfizer’s Strategic Shifts
The steep decline in sales of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine and pill has pressured CEO Albert Bourla to focus on newer drugs to drive growth. Recently, Pfizer announced that chief scientific officer Mikael Dolsten would step down after more than 15 years with the company.
