Updated: Novo Nordisk says CagriSema delivers superior weight loss in diabetes patients compared to Eli Lilly's competitor.

Supplemented relevant details of Novo Nordisk's Capital Markets Day in the 5th and 6th paragraphs, added analysts' comments in the 8th paragraph, and provided additional details of another clinical trial in the 10th paragraph.

Reuters, September 21 - Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) said on Monday that its new generation experimental drug CagriSema, in a late-stage clinical trial targeting diabetes patients, resulted in an average weight loss of 12.4% for patients, outperforming Eli Lilly's competing product.

This drug is seen as the successor to Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight-loss medication Wegovy—whose patent will expire after 2030—and is expected to help the Danish pharmaceutical company reclaim market share in the rapidly growing weight-loss drug market that was seized by Eli Lilly.

In a head-to-head trial earlier this year, the drug was slightly less effective at inducing weight loss than Eli Lilly's Zepbound (link), which was a setback for Novo Nordisk.

CagriSema is a once-weekly injectable drug that combines cagrilintide, an amylin analogue, and semaglutide, the active ingredient of Wegovy.

At its Capital Markets Day on Monday, Novo Nordisk outlined (link) its multi-year promotional plan for its new generation of obesity injectables, aiming to launch the CagriSema combination drug early next year.

Shares of Novo Nordisk listed in the United States fell more than 4% before market open, as analysts questioned the pharmaceutical company's pricing power and acquisition strategy amid impending patent expirations.

Novo Nordisk said on Monday that, in a late-stage clinical trial, its 1 mg dose of CagriSema outperformed Eli Lilly's 5 mg dose of tirzepatide for weight loss. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's diabetes drug Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Zepbound, showed a weight loss effect of 9.1% in the trial.

BMO analyst Evan Seigerman said that although the low-dose data is encouraging, the impact of the study is limited, given that tirzepatide has already demonstrated superiority over higher doses of Novo Nordisk's CagriSema in obesity treatment.

In diabetes patients, Novo Nordisk's drug also matched Eli Lilly's tirzepatide in reducing blood sugar.

In another late-stage clinical study, the drug, at a 1.0 mg dose, led to a 21% reduction in body weight among obese adult patients compared with placebo.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to make a decision in the fourth quarter regarding the company's application for CagriSema for weight management.

(To facilitate non-English speakers, Reuters automatically translates its reports into several other languages. Since automated translation may contain errors or lack required context, Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of the automated translation. Automated translations are provided for readers’ convenience only. Reuters accepts no responsibility for any damage or loss arising from the use of automated translation functionality.)