Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) Releases Results Of High-Dose Wegovy Phase 3 Trial, Achieving More Than 20% Weight Loss At 72 Weeks

Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) on Friday announced that its popular obesity treatment drug semaglutide (Wegovy) reduced weight by 20.7% in a late-stage trial at a higher 7.2mg dose over 72 weeks. The Danish drugmaker cited data from its STEP-UP 3b phase 3 study that patients taking the standard 2.4mg Wegovy dose lost 17.5% of their weight over the period, while those taking a placebo lost 2.4%.

The company added that the trial, which involved more than 1,400 obese adults without diabetes, met its primary endpoint, with semaglutide 7.2mg showing a statistically significant weight loss compared to the placebo group at week 72.

However, Novo Nordisk shares fell in premarket trading, while its obesity rival Eli Lilly (LLY.US) also lagged. As of writing, Novo Nordisk was down more than 4% in premarket trading, while Eli Lilly was down 0.5%.

According to Novo Nordisk, the 7.2mg version was safe and well-tolerated in the study. The company added that, as expected for GLP-1 drugs, most adverse events associated with semaglutide 7.2mg were gastrointestinal and reduced in severity over time.

"In addition to the established health benefits of Wegovy, the STEP UP results further strengthen the clinical efficacy of semaglutide in the treatment of obesity," said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president of drug development at Novo Nordisk.

The company's second trial, STEP UP T2D, is expected to produce data in the coming months as part of its global STEP program, targeting obese type 2 diabetes patients.