By Bhanvi Satija and Michael Erman
LONDON, Aug 19 (Reuters) – Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is testing smaller doses of its Wegovy pill in a new late-stage study to find the lowest dose that would still help patients lose weight, according to a U.S. clinical trials database.
Novo is under pressure after losing ground to U.S. rival Eli Lilly in an obesity drug market that is projected to exceed $100 billion by 2030. Investors are keenly focused on the Wegovy pill, which brought in second-quarter sales of 3.22 billion Danish crowns ($499.89 million).
The OASIS-5 study, which began on August 12 and runs until 2028, will test lower strengths of the daily maintenance dose used to keep weight off. Currently, the approved long-term dose of the Wegovy pill is 25 milligrams.
“Having a broader range of maintenance doses could provide greater flexibility in treatment and optimising the patient experience,” Novo said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
SEEKING HEALTH BENEFITS BEYOND WEIGHT LOSS
Some patients already microdose or take lower-than-approved doses of GLP-1 medicines, including Wegovy and Lilly’s Zepbound injections. The practice has become popular due to the high cost and side effects of the medicines.
“People are using low dosages of these products… they just decide on their own,” Novo CEO Mike Doustdar told Reuters in an interview last week, noting patients often seek health benefits beyond weight loss. He expects market segmentation to prevent a winner-take-all battle with Lilly.
Lilly did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on whether it plans to test smaller doses of its oral drug Foundayo, which has lowest approved doses of 0.8 mg and 2.5 mg.
Novo’s 60-week trial will recruit 450 adult participants who have previously struggled to lose weight, with a Body Mass Index of 30 or above, or 27 with a weight-related health issue.
The main goal is to test whether lower doses of oral semaglutide — the active ingredient in Wegovy — help people lose more weight than a placebo over 60 weeks. The trial will also track changes in waist size and other health benefits, as well as side effects, as secondary goals.
The study will exclude patients with diabetes or recent major weight changes, and anyone being treated with GLP-1 medications.
Novo has not specified the new dose strengths being tested. The Wegovy pill is also approved in doses of 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg.
($1 = 6.4414 Danish crowns)
(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in London and Michael Erman in New York; Editing by Mark Potter, Joe Bavier and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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