HQ Team
March 11, 2024: Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s oral medicine, amycretin, for obesity can cause up to 13% weight loss, the company announced.
“Oral amycretin is a novel, a unimolecular co-agonist of both GLP-1 and Amylin receptors that successfully” completed phase 1 trial, according to a company presentation.
“Pharmacokinetic profile allows for further clinical development” and a “13.1% weight loss” was reported after 12 weeks when compared with a placebo.
“Amylin shows potential for additional and complementary benefits to GLP-1 in metabolic diseases,” according to Novo Nordisk. It is useful in appetite regulation — hunger and satiety —and controlling glucose.
Novo Nordisk amylin analogues “have appeared to have safe and well-tolerated profiles” in experimental trials. The Phase I trials are ongoing.
Amylin inhibits food intake, delays gastric emptying, and decreases blood glucose levels, leading to the reduction of body weight. Amylin and insulin play important roles in controlling the level of blood glucose, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Appetite-reducing gut hormone
An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are a class of medications used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Amycretin mimics the appetite-reducing gut hormone GLP-1. Amycretin also targets a pancreas hormone called amylin, which affects hunger.
The semaglutide-based weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are injection-based.
The company plans to initiate Phase 1 for amylin in 2024. The new molecule for mono-therapy offers an opportunity for weight management and has potential for combination therapy.
The initiation for the new amylin tri-agonist will begin next year, and it has the potential to improve weight loss efficacy and effect on obesity-related comorbidities.
The company’s focus will be on regulating appetite and energy expenditure, weight maintenance, and lean body mass preservation.
