Pfizer has halted the development of the experimental weight-loss pill danuglipron following a trial.
A patient experienced a potential drug-induced liver injury that resolved after stopping the drug.
The company has been testing several doses of a once-a-day variant of the medicine after scrapping the development of a twice-daily variant in late 2023 because a few patients stopped a mid-stage trial due to constant nausea, vomiting, and other adverse effects.
Multiple pharmaceutical companies are now developing weight-loss pills, due to the immense popularity of the injectable drugs that target an intestinal hormone, known as GLP-1.
Lilly is likely to reveal the Phase 3 trial results for its pill orforglipron any time.
BMO Capital marketing specialist Evan Seigerman stated that Pfizer’s discontinuation of its GLP-1 pill pushes back the company to the beginning phase as its other obesity drugs are all in the initial stages of clinical testing.
Seigerman stated Pfizer could negotiate a deal in the near term.
Shares of smaller weight-loss treatment developers, including Viking Therapeutics and Structure Therapeutics also raised between 8% and 10% on the news.
Shares of Lilly skyrocketed by 2.6%, while Novo Nordisk's Copenhagen-listed shares increased to 3%. Pfizer’s share increased to 1% less than the 1.5% in the wider S&P 500.
Pfizer stated that dose-optimisation studies of once-daily danuglipron revealed that overall frequency of liver enzyme elevations across 1,400 study participants aligned with approved drugs in the class. However, one patient developed a liver injury.
However, the company will develop- its experimental oral drug targeting a different hormone, GIPR, and other earlier obesity programme research.
