Pfizer Halts Development of Twice-Daily Weight Loss Pill Due to Tolerance Issues
Pfizer announced on Friday that it would be discontinuing the development of the twice-daily version of its experimental weight loss pill. The decision comes after obese patients taking the drug experienced weight loss but had trouble tolerating the drug during a mid-stage clinical study.
The pharmaceutical giant observed high rates of adverse side effects, mostly mild and gastrointestinal, among patients taking the drug. A significant share of patients also discontinued the treatment during the trial. “At this time, twice-daily danuglipron formulation will not advance into Phase 3 studies,” the company stated.
Despite this setback, Pfizer said it still plans to release phase two trial data on a once-a-day version of the drug in the first half of 2024. This data will inform a path forward, and the company will then decide whether to proceed with a phase three study on the once-daily pill.
The news of the discontinued development of the twice-daily weight loss pill caused Pfizer’s shares to fall by 4% in premarket trading. This news is a blow to Pfizer’s hopes to capture a share of the booming weight loss drug market that CEO Albert Bourla has estimated could eventually grow to $90 billion. The company had been seeking to rebound from plummeting demand for its COVID products and a significant drop in share price this year.
This decision to halt development of the twice-daily pill follows the company’s decision to scrap a different once-daily pill back in June in favor of danuglipron. The pharmaceutical giant is now further behind in the race to develop a competitive weight loss drug compared to dominant players in the market, such as Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk.
In the now-discontinued phase two trial of the twice-daily pill, all dose sizes of the drug showed statistically significant reductions in body weight, and the placebo-adjusted weight loss ranged from 8% to 13%. However, high rates of adverse events, such as nausea and vomiting, were observed among patients in the study, leading to a high rate of patient dropout.
Pfizer is hopeful that patients will tolerate the once-daily version of danuglipron better than the twice-daily form. The company’s chief scientific officer has suggested that a once-daily version may improve a patient’s tolerance of the drug, lessening the gastrointestinal side effects.
However, the effects of the once-daily version remain to be seen, and Pfizer will need to wait until the mid-stage trial data is released next year to determine its next steps.
Despite the news, Pfizer is still betting on its weight loss pill, as it aims to capitalize on the growing market for weight loss drugs. The hope is that the once-daily version of danuglipron will prove more effective and better tolerated, allowing the pharmaceutical giant to remain competitive in this rapidly expanding market.