Novo Nordisk Says 7.2-mg Wegovy Cut Weight 27.7% in Some Patients as Lilly Rivalry Intensifies
Updated
Updated · CNBC · May 12
Novo Nordisk Says 7.2-mg Wegovy Cut Weight 27.7% in Some Patients as Lilly Rivalry Intensifies
11 articles · Updated · CNBC · May 12
27.7% average weight loss at 72 weeks was seen in a subgroup of high-dose Wegovy patients Novo Nordisk identified as “early responders” in a late-stage trial presented at the European Congress on Obesity.
7.2-mg Wegovy produced nearly 21% average weight loss overall, topping the more than 17% seen with the prior 2.4-mg injectable dose and moving closer to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, which has shown more than 20% in late-stage studies.
About 1 in 4 patients on the highest dose met Novo’s early-response definition—at least 15% weight loss by 24 weeks—while patients without that response still lost 15.4% on average.
The data arrives one month after the 7.2-mg U.S. launch, with Novo saying patients are already titrating up and three major U.S. pharmacy benefit managers have added the dose to standard formularies.
The results still do not show which patients will become early responders, and analysts have said it remains unclear whether the stronger Wegovy data will materially shift market share from the already entrenched Zepbound.
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