By Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Novo Nordisk said on Thursday its experimental obesity drug CagriSema significantly reduced blood pressure in a late-stage trial, as the Danish drugmaker seeks to demonstrate health benefits beyond weight loss for a treatment that has disappointed investors.
Novo had positioned CagriSema as a more potent successor to its blockbuster Wegovy, but lower-than-expected weight loss data published in December wiped $125 billion from its market value. The underwhelming results prompted Novo to launch a new late-stage trial in June.
The drug combines cagrilintide, which mimics the pancreatic hormone amylin, and semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy.
CagriSema reduced systolic blood pressure by 10.9 mmHg over 68 weeks, compared with 8.8 mmHg for semaglutide alone and 2.1 mmHg for placebo, according to later analyses from the Phase III REDEFINE 1 trial presented at ObesityWeek in Atlanta. The headline REDEFINE 1 trial results were published in December.
The data publication comes as new CEO Mike Doustdar tries to turn around Novo’s fortunes after its stock slid 50% this year.
The data, published simultaneously in the journal Hypertension, showed CagriSema reduced high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation linked to heart disease risk, by 68.9% compared with 55.4% for semaglutide alone and 16% for placebo. The reduction was only partially explained by weight loss, Novo said.
Novo is conducting a separate cardiovascular outcomes trial, REDEFINE 3, to investigate whether CagriSema can prevent heart attacks and strokes in patients with established heart disease.
CagriSema is not approved in any market. Novo plans to submit the drug for regulatory approval in the first quarter of 2026.
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-PedersenEditing by Rod Nickel)
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