Novo Nordisk Advances Amycretin into Phase III Trials for Obesity Treatment

Cailian Press, June 13 (Editor Zhaohao Zhao)On Thursday (June 12) local time, Danish biopharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk announced on its official website that the company would advance the Phase III clinical trial of its weight management drug "Amycretin."

Novo Nordisk stated that this decision was based on feedback from regulatory authorities following the end of the Amycretin Phase II clinical trial. Affected by this news, Novo Nordisk's U.S. stock rose 2.95% on Thursday, closing at its highest level since March 10.

According to Novo Nordisk, Amycretin is a single-molecule long-acting GLP-1 receptor and amylin receptor agonist that can be administered via subcutaneous injection or oral delivery, aiming to provide a treatment option for adults who are overweight or obese, as well as patients with type 2 diabetes.

The press release stated that Novo Nordisk plans to launch the Phase III trial program for Amycretin targeting overweight or obese adults in the first quarter of 2026.

Novo Nordisk's Executive Vice President of Research and Development, Martin Holst Lange, stated, "We are very pleased that feedback from regulatory authorities has enabled us to advance Amycretin into Phase III clinical trials for weight management."

Langer added, "We are highly optimistic about this single-molecule Amycretin, and this marks an important step forward for us. We look forward to sharing more details about the Phase III clinical trial design soon."

According to the early trial results published by Novo Nordisk in January this year, participants who received the highest dose (20 mg) of subcutaneous Amycretin injections experienced a 22.0% reduction in body weight after 36 weeks.

In addition to Amycretin, Novo Nordisk is also developing a dual-drug combination called "CagriSema," a joint therapy consisting of cagrilintide and semaglutide administered via once-weekly subcutaneous injection.

Currently, CagriSema is in the Phase III trial process. Novo Nordisk once positioned it as the most likely successor to semaglutide, but the lower-than-expected weight loss effects have raised concerns that the company may lag behind Eli Lilly for a long time.

Editor: Yu Jian SF069