UPDATE 2-Novo Nordisk, United Laboratories 'triple G' drug trial shows 19.7% weight loss

Novo Nordisk and United Laboratories International said on Tuesday a Chinese mid-stage trial ‌of their jointly developed "triple G" UBT251 obesity drug candidate resulted in a mean weight loss of up to 19.7% after 24 weeks.

The trial, conducted by TUL subsidiary United Biotechnology, investigated the safety and efficacy of different once-weekly injectable doses of UBT251 ‌compared to placebo in Chinese people with overweight or obesity, Novo and TUL said in a statement. From a ‌baseline mean body weight of 92.2 kg, the highest mean weight loss observed for people treated with UBT251 was 19.7% compared to 2.0% in the placebo group after 24 weeks of treatment, the companies said.

"We are very encouraged by these data from the trial in China, ⁠which demonstrate ​the potential of UBT251," ⁠said Novo Nordisk Chief Scientific Officer Martin Holst Lange. WEIGHT-LOSS DRUG TARGETS COMBINATION OF HORMONES

UBT251 belongs to a class of drugs that target a ⁠combination of gut and pancreatic hormones to potentially attain greater weight loss compared to GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Novo's Wegovy and ​Eli Lilly's Zepbound, which target only the GLP-1 hormone. UBT251 targets GLP-1, GIP, and a third hormone, glucagon, hence ⁠the name "triple G".

On Monday Novo unveiled data for its obesity drug CagriSema, which achieved a 23% reduction in body weight over 84 weeks. ⁠Eli Lilly's ​tirzepatide, the active ingredient of Zepbound, sold in Europe as Mounjaro, achieved weight loss of 25.5% in the head-to-head trial. Novo Nordisk recently initiated a global trial of different doses of UBT251 for up to 28 weeks in ⁠around 330 people living with overweight or obesity, with results expected in 2027, and also aims to initiate a type ⁠2 diabetes trial.

The company ⁠in March last year bought global rights to TUL's UBT251 in a deal worth up to $2 billion, obtaining exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise the drug, excluding in ‌mainland China, ‌Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.