As Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly rack up significant sales from their GLP-1 diabetes and obesity drugs, the companies also must gear up for defense against lawsuits from new users. Case in point is a claim from a Louisiana woman who is suing both companies, alleging her use of Novo’s Ozempic (semaglutide) and Lilly’s Mounjaro caused her to vomit so much that some of her teeth have fallen out. Jaclyn Bjorklund, 44, who used Ozempic for more than a year and then switched to Mounjaro, says the companies failed to warn patients of “severe gastrointestinal events” that can be caused by using the injected drugs. The lawsuit claims that Bjorklund has suffered from “severe vomiting, stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning,” and has been hospitalized for stomach issues on “several” occasions. The prescribing labels for Ozempic and Mounjaro say the drugs “delay gastric emptying” and warn of the risk of gastrointestinal adverse ...
In the rush to supply prescriptions of Novo Nordisk’s popular diabetes and weight loss meds, some pharmacies are making unauthorized versions of Ozempic and Wegovy, the FDA warned on Tuesday. Some compounding pharmacies, which are permitted to make drugs during times of shortage, are using unauthorized versions of semaglutide—the key active ingredient in the GLP-1 drugs. Compounding pharmacies are currently allowed to make Ozempic and Wegovy because they are in short supply. But they must use approved ingredients, the FDA points out. The agency has received adverse event reports after patients have used compounded semaglutide. In some cases, compounders may be using salt forms of semaglutide, called semaglutide sodium or semaglutide acetate, which have not been proven to be safe or effective. The FDA asks users of Ozempic and Wegovy to get a prescription from a licensed provider and only obtain drugs from state-licensed pharmacies or outsourcing facilities registered with ...
An oral drug made by Pfizer causes a similar amount of weight loss as rival Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster injection Ozempic, according to a peer-reviewed study of phase 2 clinical trial results released Monday. The results were presented at a medical conference late last year, and did not compare Pfizer’s drug with Ozempic or other weight loss medications. JAMA Network only now is releasing a peer-reviewed study. Pfizer’s trial followed 411 adults with Type 2 diabetes who either took the company’s pill, danuglipron, twice a day or a placebo. Body weight was “statistically significantly reduced” after patients took either 120-milligram or 80-milligram versions of danuglipron for 16 weeks, the study found. Patients who took a 120-milligram version lost around 10 pounds on average over that time period, the study found. Pfizer’s drug could offer an advantage as an oral treatment option rather than a frequent injection. The study results also suggest ...
The stakes are getting even higher for the fight between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk for supremacy in the multibillion-dollar obesity market. Lilly on Friday quietly registered a new phase 3b trial on clinicaltrials.gov. The study, coded SURMOUNT-5, will pit Lilly’s Mounjaro against Novo’s Wegovy in patients with obesity or overweight with weight-related health conditions. The trial aims to enroll 700 participants from 61 sites in the U.S., Canada, South America and several European countries, according to the post. The study is currently expected to officially start next Friday and last for about 78 weeks, with an estimated primary completion date in February 2025. On the study’s primary endpoint, investigators will compare the percentage weight changes between the two drugs by week 72 from baseline. However, it’s not immediately clear whether Lilly is designing SURMOUNT-5 as a superiority study to show Mounjaro is better than Wegovy or just to show ...
New results from a Phase IIIa study have demonstrated that Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug semaglutide improved physical function and wellbeing among people with obesity. The STEP 1 trial demonstrated benefits for people with obesity treated with semaglutide 2.4mg ‘beyond weight loss’, Novo said in a statement. Over a 68-week period, treatment with once-weekly semaglutide 2.4mg was associated with greater improvements for all weight- and health-related quality of life scores in people with obesity or overweight in comparison to placebo. This included improved wellbeing, with 43.8% of patients treated with Novo’s drug achieving a clinically meaningful improvement in total weight-related quality of life score at week 68. On top of that, 51.2% of participants treated with semaglutide 2.4mg in the trial had an increased weight-related physical function score, reflecting improvements in the ability to perform daily activities. In addition, patients treated with semaglutide 2.4mg ‘simultaneously’ experienced significant weight loss of ...
Novo Nordisk’s Sogroya (somapacitan) has received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use – moving closer towards approval in the EU. The CHMP has recommended marketing authorisation for Sogroya for the treatment of adults with growth hormone deficiency (AGHD). The recommendation is based on results from the Phase III REAL 1 clinical trial programme, which investigated the efficacy and safety of Sogroya in AGHD. “We are very pleased with the positive opinion for once-weekly Sogroya as we are committed to continuously developing innovative and efficient medicines for people living with growth hormone deficiency,” said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of Novo Nordisk. “We are confident that Sogroya will make management of this serious chronic disease easier and help improve the quality of life for more people living with growth hormone deficiency,” he added. Sogroya is a ...
Novo Nordisk announced that the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has approved Tresiba® (insulin degludec) for the treatment of diabetes in China. Tresiba® is a new-generation, once-daily basal insulin with an ultra-long duration of action which allows for flexibility in day-to-day dosing.
On November 6, at the 7th China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as “CIIE”), Novo Nordisk held a press conference and announced that the world’s first weekly insulin formulation, Novozymes® (insulin Efficacy Injection), which was exhibited for the first time at this CIIE, will be commercially launched in China at the end of November 2024 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults, ushering in the era of weekly insulin treatment. Professor Peng Yongde, head of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the First People’s Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, said: “Insulin therapy is still an indispensable and important cornerstone in the diabetes management pathway. As a key component, basal insulin strives to better meet clinical treatment needs to help patients start treatment in a timely manner, improve treatment compliance, increase treatment continuity, and improve patient satisfaction.” Insulin “from day to week” ...
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has offered a positive opinion to Novo Nordisk, which should pave the way for the company to update the label for its blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg). The new label will reflect the therapy’s positive effects on cardiovascular health, potentially improving its chances for reimbursement in Europe. Under the new label, healthcare providers will be able to prescribe Wegovy to patients to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack or non-fatal stroke in adults with established cardiovascular disease. If approved, this will be available for patients who are overweight or obese (initial BMI ≥27kg/m²) without having diabetes. The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) supported the label update based on data from the Phase III SELECT (NCT03574597) study. The trial demonstrated that Wegovy decreased the incidence of MACE, in a statistically significant ...
Novo Holdings’ $16.5 billion planned acquisition of Catalent is facing another delay. Just weeks after Novo decided to resubmit its application to the FTC, the agency is seeking more information about the deal. This move has triggered a second 30-day delay in the antitrust review process.Novo Holdings’ planned acquisition of Catalent is facing another delay. Just weeks after Novo Holdings decided to resubmit its application to the Federal Trade Commission, the agency is seeking more information about the deal. The transaction was originally expected to close by the end of this year, but this timeline may not be as solid given the repeated delays in the FTC’s review process. The acquisition was announced in early February when Novo Holdings — the investment arm of the foundation that owns a controlling stake in Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk — disclosed its plans to acquire New Jersey-based contract development manufacturing organization Catalent ...
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