Novo Nordisk has been one of the chief beneficiaries of the boom in GLP-1 drugs, which have shown great promise in fighting obesity. Competition in the space is fierce, but shares got a much-needed boost on Friday after the Danish pharmaceutical giant released promising trial results for a next-generation drug that the company hopes will build on the success of flagship weight-loss treatments Wegovy and Ozempic.
Like those injections, the new drug targets gut hormone GLP-1 but additionally mimics amylin, a hormone released by the pancreas that suppresses hunger. Novo’s U.S.-listed shares jumped over 10% in premarket trading Friday and remained up over 7% midmorning after the company said people who received the new treatment reduced their weight, on average, by 22%, over 36 weeks, compared with a weight gain of 2% for those who received a placebo. The most common side effects were gastrointestinal, the company added, with the vast majority being mild to moderate in severity.
