Ozempic maker reveals new weight loss pill twice as effective as ‘miracle’ jab

A new weight-loss pill made by the maker of Ozempic burns weight twice as fast as the company’s injections.

The makers of weight loss ‘miracle jab’ Ozempic say they have created a new pill that is twice as good.
Novo Nordisk claims it’s one-a-day experimental drug, amycretin, has seen patients lose 13 per cent of their body weight in 12 weeks. That compares to just six per cent of their body weight in the same period by taking a weekly injection of Wegovy, the weight-loss version of diabetes jab Ozempic.

Amycretin effectively combines the functionality of two different drugs into a single molecule that targets two hormones involved in regulating hunger and blood sugar levels: GLP-1 and amylin, according to the company.

The drug is similar to Wegovy and its sister drug Ozempic, originally approved solely to treat type 2 diabetes but now used off-label for obesity.

Novo Nordisk claims it’s one-a-day experimental drug, amycretin, has seen patients lose 13 per cent of their body weight in 12 weeks.

Chief executive Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen said the market for obesity drugs is “a tremendous runway”.

“I think we have the opportunity of demonstrating by far the strongest efficacy compared to what we see being developed,” Mr Jorgensen said.

“It’s not a technology that lends itself for dominating global rollout, that will have to be injectable.”

And while Mr Jorgensen didn’t specify when Novo would launch its once-daily 50 milligram semaglutide pill, it’s expected not to hit pharmacy shelves for a few years.

A technician in Novo Nordisk’s obesity research department.

Data from the mid-stage trial will not be available until around 2026, at the earliest, and regulators are likely to want an even more comprehensive trial to assess efficacy and safety to authorise it.

A new generation of anti-diabetic drugs, which include Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, have been hailed as an effective treatment for obesity – driving up the valuations of manufacturers such as Novo Nordisk and America’s Eli Lilly.

Danish giant Novo Nordisk’s value surged eight per cent on the results, making it richer than Elon Musk’s Tesla.

The pharmaceutical firm is also worth more money than the entire rest of Denmark’s economy combined.

A separate Novo Nordisk trial of Ozempic this week also found that it cut heart and kidney disease deaths by a quarter in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Ozempic has skyrocketed in popularity as a weight loss drug despite being for diabetics. Picture: AFP

Over the past couple of years, the skyrocketing popularity of the diabetic drugs has seen people admitted into emergency over their misuse.

The Victorian Poisons Information Centre received 82 related calls within two years, with the primary reason for calls (74 per cent) due to medication administration errors.

Meanwhile, data from the NSW Poisons Information Centre, pointed to more than 120 related calls last year, with the vast majority concerning incorrect dosages.

Trish Webster, a 56-year-old who trying to slim down for her daughter’s wedding, succumbed to the consequences of using the drug alongside Saxenda, another diabetes medication repurposed for weight loss.

The crisis is also exacerbated by celebrities and influencers who tout such drugs, contributing to their demand and a subsequent worldwide shortage.

Originally published as Ozempic maker reveals new weight loss pill twice as effective as ‘miracle’ jab