The weight-loss pill is a fantasy, right? Not anymore, thanks to promising research from Swiss pharma giant, Roche. Early trials of an oral GLP-1 agonist to be used to treat both type-2 diabetes and obesity are exciting. Announcing clinically meaningful placebo-adjusted mean weight loss of -6.1 percent within four weeks, it’s clear that a true GLP-1 pill is on the horizon.
A GLP-1 Pill Is Being Developed
The new oral medication, CT-996, is being developed by Swiss pharmaceutical company, Roche, who recently acquired Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion.
This research advances on another molecule, CT-388, which was already in development as an injectable dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist when the sale went through in December. In May, Roche said patients taking CT-388, a weekly injection, lost an average of 18.8 percent of their weight after 24 weeks.
“Following our data for CT-388, this is the second positive readout in less than three months from our growing metabolic pipeline,” Roche’s chief medical officer and head of global product development, Levi Garraway, MD explains. “Which includes both oral and injectable options to address patients’ needs across a spectrum of related diseases.”
Early Results are Promising
“We are pleased to see the clinically meaningful weight loss in people treated with our oral GLP-1 therapy CT-996, which could eventually help patients address both chronic weight management and glycaemic control indications,” said Dr. Garraway.
With an average weight loss of -6.1% within four weeks, CT-996 seems to not just provide results, but also provide them quickly. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy achieved 14.9% average weight reduction in a 68-week phase three trial.
All participants who received the therapy achieved weight loss of more than five percent, Roche noted, with 85 percent seeing weight loss of more than 10 percent and 45 percent achieving over 20 percent loss.
“CT-996 was well tolerated with mostly mild or moderate gastrointestinal-related adverse events, consistent with the safety profile of the incretin drug class,” explains the press release. “There were no treatment discontinuations related to the study drug.”
The Market Shake-up Could be Big
The results were positive enough to send Roche’s shares up four percent to 236.60 Swiss francs as of 11:25 a.m. local time, indicating investors are enthusiastic about the molecule’s future. On the other hand, Eli Lily and Novo Nordisk, two leaders in the GLP-1 weight loss market, saw their stocks fall as a result of this announcement.
An oral GLP-1 medication could also address supply issues, which continue to plague the injectable weight loss market. Analysts from Morgan Stanley anticipate the obesity drug market will grow by roughly 15 times by 2030, to over $105 billion.
