Risk of patient overlap between Wegovy and Saxenda obesity drugs, Novo
says
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[June 07, 2021]
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Novo Nordisk's new
obesity drug Wegovy, far more efficient at causing weight loss in
patients than similar drugs on the market, could capture sales of its
existing obesity treatment Saxenda in the United States, the firm said
on Monday.
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A 2.4 milligram dosage of Novo Nordisk's semaglutide drug was
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday
under the name Wegovy, and will be launched on June 10.
Shares in Novo Nordisk traded up 0.56% at 0828 GMT.
Semaglutide belongs to a range of new diabetes and obesity drugs
known as GLP-1 analogues, which by imitating a gut hormone that
stimulates insulin production, lower appetite and increase feelings
of fullness in patients.
Novo already has one GLP-1 obesity drug on the market, Saxenda,
launched in 2015, but with the introduction of Wegovy to the U.S.
market, an overlap between patients could occur, it said.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Jun/07/images/ads/current/charrons_bch041713.png)
"There is of course a risk of some cannibalisation between Wegovy
and Saxenda and lower initial value per script, while we build the
access for Wegovy," Novo's executive vice president of commercial
strategy, Camilla Sylvest, told an investor briefing.
"Our focus is to start new patients on Wegovy rather than switching
patients currently benefiting from Saxenda," Sylvest added.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Jun/07/images/ads/current/graue_21ENCOREGX_060121.png) Unpublished data from a new
trial study called STEP 5 showed treatment with
Wegovy over almost two years led to an average
weight loss of 17%, with 40% of patients losing
20% or more of body weight, Novo said on Monday.
Sydbank analyst Soren Lontoft Hansen estimated that Wegovy as a
"best in class" drug would be able to open a "potentially very
attractive", yet undeveloped obesity drug market.
"Going forward, we expect the obesity market - with the prospect of
more innovation being introduced - will grow much faster than Novo
Nordisk's other businesses," Hansen, who has a "buy" rating on Novo,
said.
Novo also said Wegovy, a once-weekly injectable, would be launched
at similar list prices in the United States as Saxenda.
(Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard, editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten
Donovan)
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