Novo Nordisk has agreed to evaluate a GLP-1 implant developed by biopharmaceutical company Vivani Medical.
The implant, called NPM-139, delivers semaglutide through a titanium reservoir fitted with a membrane containing microscopic channels designed to release the drug at a steady rate over several months, according to a July 7 news release.
Vivani is targeting the adherence problem that has dogged GLP-1s since their rise. More than half of patients discontinue GLP-1 therapy within the first year, and older adults quit at even higher rates, with cost and lack of Medicare coverage for weight-loss use cited as key drivers. The implant is envisioned as a maintenance option rather than a starting therapy: patients would first reach a stable dose using existing injections or pills, then could switch to an implant calibrated to match that dosage, administered twice a year or eventually once a year, according to a July 11 report by CNBC.
The phase 1 study is expected to begin in mid-2026 and will enroll about 20 overweight or obese adults who have not previously taken GLP-1s, randomizing them to the implant or a low-dose weekly Wegovy injection over four weeks to assess safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics, according to the news release.
However, physicians were cautiously skeptical, according to CNBC. Miranda Stiewig-Rapp, MD, from Sacramento-based University of California Davis Health’s Obesity Clinic said she wants to see long-term tolerability data before drawing conclusions. Amy Rothberg, MD, from the University of Michigan in Ann-Arbor called the implant a reasonable option but said the insertion procedure could require significant provider training and add costs for insurers, noting adoption of a similarly implanted continuous glucose monitor has been limited.
