Pfizer signage is displayed on the Pfizer NYC Headquarters in New York. The corporate is ending the event of its potential tablet weight problems therapy. (AP Picture/Yuki Iwamura)
UNITED STATES – Pfizer is ending the event of its potential once-daily tablet therapy for weight problems after venturing into the most important and most costly degree of scientific testing.
The drugmaker mentioned Tuesday that it will cease finding out danuglipron after a participant in one among its trials skilled a potential drug-induced liver damage that ended as soon as the particular person stopped taking the drug.
Danuglipron was in part three testing, which is usually the final part of improvement earlier than an organization submits the potential therapy to authorities regulators for approval.
An organization official mentioned in an announcement that Pfizer nonetheless plans to develop different potential weight problems remedies in earlier levels of testing.
Weight problems remedies have turn out to be one of many extra promising and profitable sectors of drug improvement for pharmaceutical corporations. Eli Lilly and Co.’s Zepbound, as an illustration, introduced in almost $5 billion in gross sales in 2024, its first full 12 months in the marketplace.
However main remedies like Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy are injectable. Drugmakers are desperate to develop an easier-to-take tablet model for sufferers who don’t wish to take care of needles and each day injections.
Lilly researchers anticipate to see knowledge this 12 months from research of a pair potential oral remedies it has developed.
Whereas the medication have turn out to be top-sellers, many sufferers have had a tough time getting them both attributable to just lately concluded shortages or patchy insurance coverage protection.
Each Lilly and Novo have just lately introduced value cuts, however the remedies can nonetheless value a whole lot of {dollars} a month, placing them out of attain for some individuals with out protection.
Pfizer mentioned in late 2023 that it will abandon a twice-daily model of danuglipron after greater than half the sufferers in a scientific trial stopped taking it.
An organization spokeswoman mentioned the choice introduced Monday meant Pfizer would additionally cease testing danuglipron together with different medication to deal with weight problems.
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Shares of New York-based Pfizer Inc. superior 18 cents to $22.09 in morning buying and selling Monday.
