Novo Nordisk Makes Bold Move in Obesity Market with New Triple Agonist
Danish biopharma giant Novo Nordisk is making waves in the obesity market once again, this time by licensing a new type of GLP-1 that could potentially rival a candidate in Eli Lilly’s pipeline. The company recently announced a significant investment of up to $1.8 billion to license an early-stage obesity asset, securing the rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the drug with an initial payment of $200 million.
This strategic move comes on the heels of Novo’s disappointing results from a late-stage trial of another obesity pipeline project, CagriSema, which caused a temporary drop in the company’s stock value. With the acquisition of this new asset, Novo is gearing up to compete head-to-head with Lilly for the next big opportunity in the obesity market.
The new player in Novo’s arsenal is a triple agonist known as UBT251, acquired from China-based United Biotechnology. This promising candidate, still in the early stages of development, targets the GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors. Novo’s existing blockbuster medications for obesity and diabetes, Wegovy and Ozempic, are GLP-1 receptor agonists, while Lilly’s tirzepatide products, Zepbound and Mounjaro, are dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists.
Both Novo and Lilly are banking on the potential of triple agonists to deliver superior results compared to single and dual-acting GLP-1s. Early data from a phase 1b trial in China showed that patients who received the highest dose of UBT251 lost an average of 15% of their body weight over 12 weeks, surpassing the weight loss achieved with semaglutide.
Novo plans to fast-track UBT251 into a global phase 1/2 trial following the completion of the licensing deal. Meanwhile, Lilly is advancing its own triple agonist, retatrutide, which is currently in phase 3 testing for obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoarthritis. Preliminary results have shown that triple agonists may offer superior weight reduction compared to mono- and dual-agonists.
While it’s still early to predict the potential commercial success of Novo’s triple agonist, Lilly’s retatrutide is estimated to generate $5 billion in sales by 2030. Novo faces competition not only from Lilly but also from other drug developers like Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, which is developing a once-weekly triple agonist targeting similar receptors.
The licensing agreement between Novo and United Biotechnology represents one of the largest deals in the obesity space, underscoring Novo’s commitment to expanding its presence in this market. With a robust pipeline of obesity assets in various stages of development, including an oral version of semaglutide and a dual agonist, Novo is poised to make a significant impact in the cardiometabolic arena.
As Novo continues to invest in innovative therapies for obesity and related conditions, the future looks bright for patients seeking effective and sustainable weight management solutions. Stay tuned for further updates on the progress of Novo’s triple agonist and its potential impact on the obesity market.
