In phase 3 clinical trials with 3,417 participants, CagriSema (a combination of the drugs cagrilintide and semaglutide) proved capable of reducing weight by 22.7% in 68 weeks, failing to achieve the 25% target set by Danish company Novo Nordis. The company’s market value fell 27%, equivalent to US$125 billion, when the results were announced. Prior to the announcement, analysts estimated that CagriSema sales could peak at US$20 billion. It is the second setback suffered by the company, after its US competitor Eli Lilly reported that participants in phase 3 trials of its drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) lost 47% more weight than achieved with another Novo Nordisk drug, Wegovy. The active ingredient of Wegovy is semaglutide, the same as is used in Ozempic, also made by the Danish company. The global obesity drug market could generate revenues of US$150 billion a year by 2030 (Reuters and Clinical Trials Arena, December 20).
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