Amgen Reports Promising Phase 2 Data for MariTide, Showing 17–20% Weight Loss Comparable to Novo Nordisk and Lilly

AmgenAmgen (AMGN.US) announced on Tuesday that its experimental weight-loss therapy, MariTide, achieved significant results in a Phase 2 trial, with an average weight loss of approximately 17% to 20% in obese or overweight individuals (with or without type 2 diabetes), and no weight-loss plateau was observed.Eli Lilly(LLY.US)Zepbound andNovo Nordisk(NVO.US)The weight loss effect of 15%-20% for GLP-1 products. However, the company's stock price fell by about 12%, while its competitors, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, saw their stock prices rise. Amgen announced that it will advance the Phase 3 study plan MARITIME for MariTide. Despite the drug being associated with gastrointestinal adverse events such as nausea, it still offers a potentially unique treatment option for patients. Other developers of experimental weight-loss therapies are also actively conducting research.

Amgen’s MariTide Achieves Average Weight Loss of Approximately 20% Over About a Year in Phase 2 Trial for People with Obesity or Overweight but Without Type 2 Diabetes. For patients also suffering from type 2 diabetes, the average weight loss reached about 17% within the same 52-week timeframe. Amgen noted that neither group experienced a weight-loss plateau after 52 weeks, indicating they still have the potential for further weight reduction.

Based on these data, Amgen announced a phase three study plan named MARITIME for MariTide. MariTide is a bispecific molecule designed to target the intestinal hormone receptor (GLP-1) as well as the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor.

Regarding safety, Amgen stated that its MariTide injection, administered once a month or less frequently, is not associated with changes in bone mineral density—a concern recently raised by Cantor Fitzgerald, which led to a sell-off of its stock earlier this month.

However, Amgen also noted that MariTide was associated with gastrointestinal adverse events such as nausea. Nonetheless, Amgen's Chief Scientific Officer Jay Bradner stated: "These results give us confidence to initiate MARITIME, a Phase 3 clinical study program targeting obesity and a range of related conditions, offering patients a unique potential new treatment option."

Other companies developing experimental weight-loss therapies includePfizer(PFE.US)、AstraZenecaCompanies like AstraZeneca (AZN.US), Viking Therapeutics (VKTX.US), Altimmune (ALT.US), Structure Bio (GPCR.US), Zealand Pharma, and Rhythm Pharmaceuticals (RYTM.US).

Notably, it is reported that the administration led by U.S. President Biden is proposing a regulation to cover the cost of weight-loss drugs, which could expand access to these medications for millions of obese Americans and saddle President-elect Donald Trump with a massive new healthcare expense.

It is understood that the U.S. Medicare program now covers the cost of drugs like Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro for people with health conditions such as diabetes. According to the White House, this new regulation will provide approximately 3.4 million elderly Americans enrolled in Medicare and 4 million adults in the Medicaid program, which targets low-income individuals, with access to weight-loss treatments.

According to a White House official, the proposal would cut out-of-pocket costs for drugs that cost up to $1,000 per month by as much as 95%. Medicare, which insures about 52 million elderly Americans, currently does not cover obesity-related drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound. Only 13 states’ Medicaid programs cover these blockbuster weight-loss medications.

This is a significant victory for pharmaceutical manufacturers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which have just emerged from two years of shortages that limited access to branded drugs. According to related analyses, the booming injectable weight-loss drug market is expected to reach $130 billion by 2030. These two companies have been racing to persuade insurers to cover the premiums for these medications.

Editor: Guo Mingyu