Today’s news / Novo Nordisk eyes 2030 for new diet pill launch
Novo Nordisk holds a number of patents for semaglutide around the world. The company hopes that it can launch new weight loss products before the patents expire. This is stated by Novo's Development Manager to Reuters. (Archive photo). Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

Novo Nordisk eyes 2030 for new diet pill launch

Novo Nordisk’s development chief, Martin Holst Lange, anticipates that the company’s new weight loss pill, amycretin, could be marketed within this decade. Newly released data from a phase 1 study showed a 13.1% weight reduction over 12 weeks, which boosted the company’s stock by over 8%. Lange also mentioned the potential cardiovascular benefits of amycretin and another candidate, cagrisema, akin to their existing drug Wegovy, which was shown to lower the risk of severe cardiovascular events by 20%. People with diabetes might achieve over a 20% weight loss with cagrisema, possibly over 25% in those without diabetes. Novo Nordisk is working on developing both pill and injection versions of amycretin, aiming to maximize profits from semaglutide-based drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy before existing patents expire.