Novo Nordisk and China’s United Laboratories International Holdings have announced promising results from a clinical trial of a new experimental obesity drug, the company reports in a press release.
In a phase 2 study involving 205 Chinese patients with overweight or obesity, participants lost up to 19.7 percent of their body weight after 24 weeks of treatment. By comparison, patients who received a placebo lost about 2 percent.
“We are very encouraged by these data from the trial in China,” said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president and head of R&D at Novo Nordisk. “We look forward to reporting data from a global trial next year.”
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The announcement comes just days after Novo’s obesity candidate CagriSema delivered weaker-than-expected results in a head-to-head study against US rival Eli Lilly. The setback sent Novo shares down more than 15 percent.
The drug candidate, known as UBT251, works by targeting three hormones that help regulate appetite, blood sugar and metabolism. This makes it part of a new generation of so-called “triple agonist” treatments in the global race to develop more effective weight-loss medicines.
According to the companies, the treatment was generally well tolerated. The most common side effects were mild to moderate digestive issues.
Under a 2025 agreement, Novo Nordisk holds the rights to develop and market the drug outside China, while its Chinese partner retains regional rights.
