COPENHAGEN, June 10 (Reuters) – Novo Nordisk has launched a new late-stage trial for its experimental obesity drug candidate, CagriSema. The Danish company aims to restore confidence in the drug’s potential after two previous studies showed disappointing results.
The company said the study will evaluate how well CagriSema helps people with obesity lose weight and maintain that weight loss over the long term.
CagriSema was presented as a stronger successor to Novo Nordisk’s popular obesity treatment, Wegovy. The company had raised expectations that CagriSema could outperform rival drug Mounjaro, made by U.S. pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
However, data released in December and March showed that CagriSema’s weight loss effects were lower than expected. This caused Novo Nordisk’s shares to drop and increased concerns that Eli Lilly may be gaining an advantage in the obesity drug market.
In February, Novo Nordisk said it planned to start a new trial for CagriSema by June. The company also indicated this study would last longer than the original 68-week trial. This decision was based on December’s data, which suggested patients could achieve more weight loss if the treatment continued over a longer period.
