Novo Nordisk (NVO.US)'s new weight loss drug Cagrisema was effective against LY.US (LLY.US), but the side effects rate of nearly 80% fell short of expectations

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) disclosed complete data from two phase III clinical trials of its novel weight loss drug Cagrisema on June 22, showing that the drug showed positive results in weight loss effects and improved metabolic indicators, but the incidence of gastrointestinal side effects was higher than in the placebo group. This result is basically consistent with the phased data released earlier, but it did not fully meet capital market expectations, causing the company's stock price to fluctuate. Notably, the company just experienced personnel changes last month, and CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen was fired.

At the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting in Chicago, Novo Nordisk announced the details of the 68-week clinical study: overweight or obese non-diabetic patients treated with CagrisEMA lost an average weight of about 23%, and patients with type 2 diabetes who were overweight lost 15.8% of their weight. In contrast, the LY.US (LLY.US) similar drug Tirzepatide, the trade name Zepbound, achieved a 22% weight reduction in the 72-week trial.

Professor Melanie Davies, co-director of the Leicester Diabetes Center and the main researcher on diabetes trials, said that the efficacy data of Cagrisema is “comparable to the best drugs in its class”, and is particularly outstanding in blood sugar control. The test group's glycated hemoglobin HbA1c compliance rate of ≤ 6.5%, or lower, was 73.5%, which was significantly superior to 15.9% of the placebo group.

According to safety data, 79.6% of CagrisEMA users experienced gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation, compared to 39.9% in the placebo group. The incidence of serious adverse events in the trial group was 9.8%, higher than the 6.1% in the placebo group, but Martin Holst Lange, head of R&D at Novo Nordisk, emphasized: “The vast majority of side effects were mild to moderate and transient.” Notably, 6% of CagrisEMA subjects terminated treatment early due to adverse events, compared to 3.7% in the placebo group.

The drug is injected as a weekly preparation and consists of the GLP-1 receptor agonist WegoVy and the insulin analog caglitriptide. Professor Davies pointed out that the low dose group's weight loss effect was superior to that of the high dose group is worth paying attention to. “This suggests that we may be able to optimize tolerability while ensuring efficacy by extending the dosage climbing cycle.” Animal experiments have shown that insulin may reduce weight by increasing energy consumption. If this mechanism is verified in humans, it may alleviate metabolic adaptation problems during weight loss.

Novo Nordisk plans to submit a CAGrisema listing application in the first quarter of 2026, which is expected to be approved in early 2027. In addition to weight loss indications, the company is conducting additional research on cardiovascular benefits. Flexible dose adjustment plans will be the focus of clinical application. Extending the dosage interval can not only control the rate of weight loss, but also reduce the burden of side effects. Currently, the global obesity treatment market is fiercely competitive. If Cagrisema is successfully launched, it will directly compete with Eli Lilly's GLP-1/GIP dual-target drugs.