Zealand Pharma (ZEAL) said its experimental drug helped people who are overweight or obese and have type 2 diabetes lose up to 9.2 per cent of their body weight in a mid-stage trial. The Danish company is developing the treatment with Roche (RHHBY).
The 220-patient trial met its main goal. Patients taking the once-weekly drug, petrelintide, lost between 7.4 per cent and 9.2 per cent of their body weight after 28 weeks, depending on the dose, compared with 2 per cent for those on placebo.
Petrelintide lowered HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar, by as much as 0.65 per cent, while levels rose 0.23 per cent among patients receiving placebo, Zealand said.
About 1.9 per cent of patients taking petrelintide discontinued treatment because of gastrointestinal side effects, compared with 1.7 per cent of those on placebo. Zealand said most such side effects were mild and occurred while doses were being increased.
Roche gained access to petrelintide through a collaboration and licensing deal worth up to $5.3bn last year, giving it shared development rights to the therapy, which mimics amylin, a hormone co-secreted with insulin.
The companies have begun late-stage testing in about 7,000 people, including those with and without type 2 diabetes and those with established cardiovascular disease.