A promising weight-loss drug from Zealand Pharma could soon challenge popular treatments like Ozempic by offering a solution with fewer side effects, especially addressing the common issue of nausea associated with GLP-1 medications.
The Denmark-based company announced that its drug, petrelintide, demonstrated a lower incidence of nausea during an early-stage clinical trial, with only about one-third of patients reporting this side effect even at doses up to 4.8 milligrams. This finding, revealed at the ObesityWeek conference in San Antonio, could position petrelintide as a preferable option for those who struggle with the adverse effects of current GLP-1-based therapies.
Zealand Pharma envisions petrelintide as an alternative for individuals who cannot tolerate the side effects of GLP-1 drugs, which include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort. According to the company, there were no severe or serious adverse events reported during the trial, and only one participant out of 48 dropped out due to side effects.
David Kendall, Zealand’s Chief Medical Officer, stated in a press release, “These results support our belief that petrelintide is well-tolerated and could be a viable alternative to incretin-based therapies for weight management.”
Unlike Ozempic and similar GLP-1 drugs, which mimic glucagon-like peptide-1 to regulate blood sugar and curb appetite, petrelintide works differently by mimicking amylin, a hormone co-secreted with insulin in the pancreas. Amylin enhances feelings of fullness, which may aid in weight loss without the significant side effects seen in GLP-1 drugs.
In a June study, Zealand Pharma reported that patients on a high dose of petrelintide lost an average of 8.6% of their body weight over 16 weeks. This result, while slightly lower than the weight loss achieved by Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (around 15% over 68 weeks), is nonetheless promising.
Zealand Pharma plans to launch a mid-stage trial later this year, with hopes of bringing petrelintide to market by 2029 or 2030. The company is also seeking a partnership with a larger pharmaceutical firm to assist in the development, production, and distribution of petrelintide.
The rising demand for obesity treatments has propelled companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which produce Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, to the forefront of the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, other firms, including Viking Therapeutics, Regeneron, Amgen, and Pfizer, are also investing in new weight-loss medications, eager to capture a share of the booming market.
If petrelintide proves successful in further trials, Zealand Pharma could stand to make a significant impact in the field, offering a much-needed alternative for those seeking weight loss without the burden of severe side effects.
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