Novo Nordisk recently dropped details about a potential successor to the ultra-popular medication, Ozempic.
On a November 2 call with investors, the Danish multinational pharmaceutical company spoke about its next GLP-1 mediation, CargiSema.
The company currently makes Wegovy to help individuals with obesity manage their weight, as well as Ozempic, which is intended to lower the blood sugar of type 2 diabetics. Both include the same drug, semaglutide, a GLP-1, but branded under different names.
Now, Novo Nordisk is working on a new obesity and diabetes drug they say is more potent than former versions.
CagriSema still leverages semaglutide but combines it with an amylin and calcitonin receptor antagonist. Amylin assists with blood sugar regulations, while calcitonin controls the blood’s calcium levels.
In an initial clinical trial, the new drug was found to help the average patient shed 15.6% of their weight over a 32-week period. Wegovy, on the other hand, resulted in an average of 15% weight loss after 68 weeks, using the highest dose.
Martin Holst Lange, Novo Nordisk’s executive president of development, told analysts he expects more extensive trials will prove CagriSema can help people lose upwards of 25% of their body weight. The company is expected to release the results of two late-stage trials later this year and again in the first half of 2025.
According to Novo Nordisk, the new drug’s safety profile is expected to be similar to that of the current GLP-1 drugs available.
Karsten Munk Knudsen, the company’s chief financial officer, said a third party will make a component of CagriSema. Knudsen says the company decided to seek external help “based on a consideration around capabilities and manufacturing footprints.”
“We take historic learnings with us in terms of ensuring that we have a resilient setup into the future for external sourcing approaches,” Knudsen said, per Quartz.
So far this year, Novo Nordisk, which trades under the ticker NVO on the New York Stock Exchange, is up just over 4% year-to-date.