Roche obesity shot cuts body weight 15.5% in mid-stage trial

According to fresh market updates, Roche Holding AG’s experimental obesity shot enicepatide trimmed both blood sugar and body weight in type-2 diabetes patients who were overweight or obese in a mid-stage trial.

Patients receiving the highest 24-milligram dose had a 2.65% reduction in HbA1c — a measure of blood sugar — and lost an average 15.5% of their body weight after 48 weeks with no plateau observed, Roche stated in a statement Tuesday.

The Swiss drugmaker is seeking to compete with Eli Lilly & Co and Novo Nordisk A/S with a once-weekly shot that works similarly to Lilly’s Zepbound — by simultaneously activating the GLP-1 and GIP hormones involved in regulating metabolism. The global market for weight-loss drugs is estimated to reach as much as $150 billion.

Roche plans to begin Phase 3 studies and cardiovascular-outcomes trials for enicepatide in the first half of 2027. Enicepatide, formerly known as CT-388, was first developed by Carmot Therapeutics, which Roche acquired for $3.1 billion in 2023.

Previous data suggested enicepatide is “as good as rivals on weight loss,” Bloomberg Intelligence market watchers Michael Shah and Christos Nikoletopoulos wrote in June. The drug is anticipated to win approval by 2030, the market watchers wrote, and could have peak sales of $4 billion.

The most common side effects in the new trial are predominantly mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal effects, and only 2.0% of patients in the treatment arm discontinued, compared to 0.0% taking a placebo.

“Combined with sustained weight loss, enicepatide offers a potential best-in-disease profile capable of reducing and preventing complications as well as enhancing metabolic health for people living with type 2 diabetes,” Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development Levi Garraway stated.