danish biotech new zealand pharmaceutical company The company is eyeing the “next generation” weight loss drug as rivals rush into a market dominated by heavyweights Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Company.
Early trials of its experimental obesity injection show greater weight loss, less muscle loss and fewer side effects than traditional GLP-1 treatments, CEO Adam Steensberg told CNBC on Thursday. He added that the company is currently looking for a global pharmaceutical company to collaborate.
“Our focus is really on what’s needed in the 2030s, so to speak, and it’s really about building the next generation of molecules that are not based on GLP-1,” Steensberg said.
Last month, Zealand Pharma announced positive top line results From a Phase 1b trial of its weight loss drug Dapiglutide, a dual GLP-1/GLP-2 receptor agonist. It puts the company head-to-head with major obesity players Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, whose GLP-1s Wegovy and Zepbound respectively received Explosive growth in popularity Because of their weight loss effects.
However, Steensberg said the company’s separate obesity candidate, Petrelintide, a long-acting amylin analog, could differentiate it from the competition and provide an alternative for users who cannot tolerate GLP-1.
“This is what we call the crown jewel. This is what we have the highest expectations for,” Stinesburg said.
“We have a very strong feeling that this could become a foundational therapy in the future – both to achieve the weight loss that patients are looking for but also to be better tolerated,” he added.
New Zealand Pharmaceuticals.
Amylin analogs are an emerging form of weight loss treatment. They work by mimicking the hormones secreted by the pancreas along with insulin to increase feelings of satiety. This is different from GLP-1 agonists, which mimic the incretin hormone produced in the gut to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar.
“These are two very different human experiences,” says Steensberg, comparing GLP-1 to amylin analogs. “If you work on feeling full, it’s going to be a more enjoyable experience. So once you get into it, you can stick with treatment long-term.”
Novo Nordisk is also testing its own treatment, combining the GLP-1 ingredient Semaglutide with the amylin analog Cagrilintide to create a drug candidate called CagriSema.
In June, Zealand Pharma also announced positive results Phase 1b trials of petrelintide showed an average weight loss of up to 8.6% with 16 weekly injections.
The company said at the time that the study results showed “strong support” for the drug’s potential as a GLP-1 replacement. After the biotech company reported first-half results in August, Sternsberg upped the ante, saying amylin analogs have the potential to become “the mainstay of weight management in the future.”
“If we can develop a molecule that gives patients the weight loss they want and has a very benign tolerability profile, and we also reduce the risk in terms of cardiovascular health, I think we have good reason to believe that It could become a first-line therapy,” Sternsberg told CNBC in an interview Thursday.
Seeking global pharmaceutical partners
Zealand Pharma was founded nearly three decades ago to specialize in peptide drugs and has been gaining momentum in recent months as it moves further into obesity treatments. Its shares have risen more than 110% so far this year.
However, competition in the industry is fierce, with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly still dominating the market as they so-called miracle drug become crucial to consumers around the world.
Some drug regulatory agencies, including USA and European Unionhas now expanded the GLP-1 drug label to treat obesity-related comorbidities and other conditions. Meanwhile, concerns remain about other possible side effects of the drug, such as muscle loss and suicidal thoughts, and US authorities Oppose the high cost of treatment.
Syringes of the weight loss drugs “Wegovy”, “Ozempic” and “Mounjaro”.
Image Alliance | Getty Images
Still, interest in the treatment continues to swell, with analysts estimating the industry could be worth as much as Will reach US$200 billion by 2030.
Emily Field, head of European pharmaceuticals research at Barclays, said the weight loss market is likely to become more “fragmented” over time as pharmaceutical companies target different segments, noting that treatments to combat muscle loss may be Great way to “differentiate”.
However, she noted that it would be difficult for a company of Sealand Pharmaceuticals’ size and scope to do this alone.
“There’s no way New Zealand would ever think of making something like this themselves. A lot of people who have it still have it but wonder if it’s going to be bought,” Field said by phone.
Sternsberg on Thursday ruled out speculation about an acquisition, saying it was “definitely not part of our plans.” But he pointed out that even with a massive $1 billion raise funds Earlier this year, the company needed a partner.
“We have a clear goal to continue as partners into the next phase of our lives,” Stinesburg said. “We have a lot to offer, and I think it’s a very attractive opportunity for a large pharmaceutical company to partner with Sealand right now.”
Partnership discussions are ongoing and could continue into the first half of next year, he added.
Petrelintide and Dapiglutide will now enter Phase 2 trials in overweight and obese patients in late 2024 and first half of 2025, respectively.
