Pfizer Advances Once-Daily Weight Loss Pill After Early Study Success

Pfizer is advancing a once-daily version of its weight loss medication, danuglipron, following encouraging findings from an ongoing early-stage study. The pharmaceutical company announced on Thursday that it has identified a formulation that shows a favorable safety profile and effective bodily response.

The company plans to carry out more early-stage trials in the latter half of this year to determine the optimal dosage, with results expected by the first quarter of next year. These results will be pivotal for the registration enabling studies required for regulatory approval.

Dr. Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s outgoing Chief Scientific Officer, expressed optimism about the drug’s potential, stating, “Danuglipron has demonstrated good efficacy in a twice-daily formulation, and we believe a once-daily formulation has the potential to have a competitive profile in the oral GLP-1 space.” Notably, the study found no liver safety issues with the once-daily formulations.

Pfizer is among several pharmaceutical companies racing to capture a share of the market for GLP-1 agonists, a class of drugs highly sought after for weight loss and diabetes management. Analysts predict this market could be worth approximately $100 billion by the end of the decade.

Despite this potential, Pfizer has faced challenges breaking into the GLP-1 space. In December, the company discontinued a twice-daily version of danuglipron due to patient tolerance issues in a mid-stage study. Investor confidence was further dampened when Pfizer scrapped another once-daily pill in June 2023 after patients showed elevated liver enzymes. These setbacks, alongside the decline of its Covid business, have impacted Pfizer’s stock performance.

Nonetheless, Pfizer continues to develop other experimental obesity drugs and maintains a robust pipeline of three clinical and several pre-clinical candidates. “Obesity is a key therapeutic area for Pfizer,” Dolsten emphasized.

Competitors Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have seen rising demand for their injectable GLP-1 drugs, despite high costs and limited insurance coverage. These companies, along with Pfizer, are striving to develop oral versions that are more convenient for patients and easier to produce, which could help alleviate supply shortages in the U.S.

Pfizer has also indicated it may pursue acquisitions or partnerships with smaller obesity drugmakers. CEO Albert Bourla mentioned in January that while acquiring a late-stage obesity treatment is unlikely, the company is exploring potential licensing deals or earlier-stage weight loss drugs as part of its strategic focus on cost management.