Drugmakers are racing to develop next-generation obesity drugs that build on the success of products from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Among them, Pfizer, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim and Amgen are focusing on improving convenience, reducing side effects and preserving muscle mass, according to a June 10 report from The Washington Post.
Here are three ways companies are trying to build on existing GLP-1 therapies, according to the report:
- Fewer injections. Pfizer is testing a monthly GLP-1 that could reduce injections from 52 per year to as few as 13. Amgen is evaluating a GLP-1 combined with a monoclonal antibody that could require only four to six injections annually.
- Reduced side effects. Multiple companies, including Roche, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, are developing therapies that incorporate amylin, a hormone that may reduce gastrointestinal side effects commonly associated with GLP-1 drugs, such as nausea, diarrhea and constipation.
- Better muscle preservation. Boehringer Ingelheim reported Phase 3 data showing patients taking its experimental GLP-1 and glucagon combination lost an average of 16.6% of body weight over 72 weeks. Of the weight lost, 10.8% was lean mass, compared with the 25% to 40% lean-mass loss seen with current therapies. The company said the findings suggest weight loss was driven primarily by reductions in fat mass.
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