A new obesity treatment being developed by Altimmune met goals for weight loss in a mid-stage clinical trial, but the data showed it doesn’t have a leg up on other popular drugs on the market.
The drug, called pemvidutide, is part of a growing class of medications that target the GLP-1 receptor, mimicking the effects of a hormone that can help people feel full. It’s proved successful for treatments like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, which have quickly become blockbuster drugs.
Interim data released Tuesday from 160 of the participants in Altimmune’s Phase 2 study showed that pemvidutide could also have blockbuster potential: Trial participants who took the drug for 24 weeks saw an average 9.7% reduction in weight, when adjusted for the placebo group. That’s in line with Wegovy and Mounjaro, which are associated with between 8% and 12% weight loss, according to Jefferies analysts.
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