People who switched from obesity injections to injections NovoThe company’s new Wegovy pill continued to cause weight loss after three months, according to an analysis of real-world data released by the company on Wednesday.
Actual research only assesses associations and cannot determine causation. But the results suggest Wegovy’s pill may improve, rather than simply maintain, the initial weight loss people experience with the blockbuster shot. It also suggests that patients may not have to take weekly injections like Wegovy or Zepbound forever, and could instead opt for more convenient treatments like Novo’s pills.
Novo’s analysis used data from Ro’s telemedicine platform on 194 obese or overweight patients, about 56% of whom were women. Half started with Novo’s Wegovy injection and the rest initially took Eli LillyZepbound photographed by.
Patients who switched from injections to Wegovy pills and continued treatment for three months lost an average of about 4 percent, or an additional 8.8 pounds, in weight. This is based on an average starting weight of about 221 pounds before taking the pills, Novo said.
Of these participants, two in five achieved a weight loss of 5% or more three months after switching to the pill. Meanwhile, the proportion of people with a BMI of 30 or higher decreased by more than 21% three months after switching to oral Wegovy. When the BMI reaches 30, a person moves from the overweight category to obese.
“We have the unique advantage that the subcutaneous Wegovy can replace the Wegoby pill on the market, and patients can expect the same tolerability profile, the same safety profile, and actually a little more weight loss, which is what a lot of patients want,” Martin Horst Lange, Novo’s chief scientific officer, said in an interview.
Among patients with available data, approximately 82% reported at least one improvement during treatment with the pill. That includes about 70% who said they wore better-fitting clothes and about 51% who said they pursued a healthier diet.
According to Novo, about 75% of patients in the analysis said they were satisfied with the switch to tablets.
“I think we’re seeing a shift where, maybe just a year ago, we actually thought that the majority of patients seeking treatment for obesity were satisfied with subcutaneous treatment,” Lange said. “We’re looking at the situation differently now. We’re seeing a clear preference for oral.”
He pointed to people who travel frequently and don’t want to think about refrigerating their shots.
This is one of the first real-world evidence of weight loss results for patients who switch to the new pill from blockbuster injectables, particularly Novo’s Wigovy injection and Lilly’s rival Zepbound. However, the study had limitations, including variable timing and completeness of data collected during routine telehealth care, bias in self-reported data, and results “not generalizable to the broader population,” Novo said.
In partnership with Novo, Ro said it is focused on learning from real-world data about patients that is available to other stakeholders in the healthcare industry.
“The future of healthcare is personal, and we can’t get there without data,” said Ro co-founder and CEO Zachariah Reitano. “Medicine is very good at answering, ‘Does this work on average?’ It’s terrible at answering, ‘What works for you?’ That’s the gap we can bridge. ”
“We are always thinking about how we can help patients and healthcare providers achieve the best outcomes for all patients,” he added. “Why do some patients respond better than others? What is the optimal titration schedule for each patient? What is the best long-term maintenance technique?”
The numbers are also one of several new datasets Novo will present on its obesity and diabetes pipeline at the European Diabetes Conference in Milan, Italy, this week.
Also on Wednesday, Novo announced that its experimental next-generation obesity drug Kaglisema reduced “food noise” (obsessive thoughts about food) and showed benefits for organ and bone health. This is based on the results of a year-long functional magnetic resonance imaging study, a non-invasive method of measuring brain activity during specific tasks.
CagriSema is a combination of Wegovy’s active ingredient, Novo’s semaglutide, and a drug called cagrilintide, which targets amylin. Kagrisema is expected to be launched early next year, followed by stand-alone Kagrilintide and higher-dose versions of Kagrisema in 2028.
In the study, Novo said Kagrisema altered the brain’s response to appealing, high-calorie foods in areas associated with craving, pleasure, and self-control in obese and overweight people.
“The signals in the brain actually change in ways that are associated with improved quality of life,” Lange says.
The company added that CagriSema reduced harmful fat around abdominal organs, including the liver and pancreas, in adults with type 2 diabetes. Early findings also suggest that patients’ bone health is maintained despite significant weight loss, Novo noted.
The drug company said the results of the study suggest that Kaglisema not only affects body weight and blood sugar levels, but also has the potential to address the underlying causes of obesity and diabetes in the brain and multiple organs and tissues.
