Novo Nordisk announced promising results for its next-generation obesity drug, CagriSema, which showed an average weight loss of 25% among adult women in a late-stage analysis involving approximately 2,300 participants. This drug combines semaglutide with cagrilintide, targeting the amylin pathway, and is expected to launch early next year.
The analysis revealed that CagriSema significantly outperformed a placebo, which resulted in only a 3% weight loss. Notably, weight loss varied among different menopausal groups, with premenopausal women losing an average of 26.7%, perimenopausal women 24.8%, and postmenopausal women 23.1%.
These results are particularly relevant given the challenges women face with weight gain during menopause, as declining estrogen levels can hinder metabolism. Despite previous disappointing trial results that led to a lack of enthusiasm from Wall Street, Novo remains confident in CagriSema's potential, projecting it could generate $11.84 billion in sales by 2028.
This positions Novo to capitalize on a growing market, especially among the 86 million women in the U.S. aged 40 and older who may benefit from such treatments