17.04.2025.
Pfizer has announced the decision to discontinue development of danuglipron (PF-06882961), an oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which was being investigated for chronic weight management.
Pfizer’s dose-optimization studies of once-daily formulations of danuglipron (NCT06567327and NCT06568731) met key pharmacokinetic objectives and confirmed a formulation and dose with the potential to deliver a competitive efficacy and tolerability profile in Phase 3 testing, based on earlier studies of twice-daily danuglipron.
“Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases including obesity remain important areas of unmet medical need, and we plan to continue applying our global capabilities to advance a pipeline of investigational treatments that have the potential to fill critical gaps in patient care, including continued development of our oral GIPR antagonist candidate and other earlier obesity programs,” said Chris Boshoff, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research and Development at Pfizer.
“While we are disappointed to discontinue the development of danuglipron, we remain committed to evaluating and advancing promising programs in an effort to bring innovative new medicines to patients.”
Pfizer’s decision to discontinue the development of its oral GLP-1 receptor agonist danuglipron, following a case of liver injury in a clinical trial, highlights both the complexity and competitiveness of the obesity treatment landscape.
Despite this development, the market for obesity medications continues to grow steadily, driven by strong demand and ongoing clinical progress from several pharmaceutical companies.
Novo Nordisk reported a 26% increase in sales within its Diabetes and Obesity Care segment in 2024, reaching DKK 271.8 billion, with obesity care contributing DKK 65.1 billion, reflecting a 56% increase compared to the previous year. Growth was largely attributed to GLP-1 based treatments.
Eli Lilly also recorded strong results, with Q4 2024 revenue rising 45% to $13.53 billion, supported by increased volumes of its weight loss and diabetes drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Amgen has announced plans to begin late-stage studies of its investigational obesity drug MariTide in mid-2025, while a separate early-stage trial of another weight-loss candidate has been temporarily paused due to regulatory review.
Overall, while individual drug development programs may encounter challenges, market activity and investment in obesity treatment remain strong, indicating a continued trend toward the expansion of this therapeutic area.
