LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters) – Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is testing lower doses of its Wegovy pill in a new late-stage study to find the lowest dose that still helps patients lose weight, according to a U.S. clinical trials database.
Novo is under pressure after losing ground to U.S. rival Eli Lilly in an obesity drug market that is projected to exceed $100 billion by 2030. The Wegovy pill is a key investor focus and brought in second-quarter sales of 3.22 billion Danish crowns ($499.89 million).
The study began on August 12 and will continue until 2028.
Key details include:
• The study, called OASIS-5, will test lower strengths of the daily “maintenance” dose used to keep weight off. Currently, the approved long-term dose is 25 milligrams.
• “Having a broader range of maintenance doses could provide greater flexibility in treatment and optimising the patient experience,” Novo said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
• The trial will recruit 450 adult participants who have previously struggled to lose weight, with a Body Mass Index of 30 or above, or 27 with a weight-related health issue.
• The main goal is to test whether lower doses of oral semaglutide — the active ingredient in Wegovy — help people lose more weight than a placebo over 60 weeks.
• Patients with diabetes or recent major weight changes, and anyone being treated with GLP-1 medications will be excluded.
• How many people lose at least 5%, 10% or 15% of their body weight, and any changes in waist size, as well as side effects, will also be tracked as secondary goals.
• The database did not specify the new dose strengths being tested. The Wegovy pill is currently approved in doses of 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg.
($1 = 6.4414 Danish crowns)
(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija; Editing by Mark Potter and Joe Bavier)
