Key Takeaways
- Pfizer said it will discontinue development of oral daily weight-loss treatment danuglipron.
- A Phase 3 trial participant experienced a “liver injury” while taking the drug that “resolved” after treatment was discontinued.
- Shares of rival obesity drug producers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk rose following the announcement.
Pfizer (PFE) said it will stop development of an oral daily weight-loss pill after a participant taking the drug in a clinical trial experienced a liver injury.
The GLP-1 receptor agonist, danuglipron, was seen as Pfizer’s potential answer to popular weight-loss treatments like Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s (LLY) Zepbound and Mounjaro, which are injected weekly. U.S.-listed shares of Novo Nordisk rose 2.6% and Lilly stock gained about 1.6% in recent trading, while Pfizer shares were 0.7% higher.
Danuglipron “met key pharmacokinetic objectives” in a Phase 3 trial but one patient “experienced potential drug-induced liver injury,” Pfizer said, adding that the injury “resolved” after treatment was discontinued.
Pfizer Chief Scientific Officer Chris Boshoff said the company would continue to develop an “oral GIPR antagonist candidate and other earlier obesity programs.”
Pfizer shares are down about 17% since the start of the year. The drugmaker plans to report its first-quarter earnings on April 29.
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