Obesity is as a serious medical condition linked to a range of related comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. The Danish biotech company Zealand Pharma, believe that their new obesity drug petrelintide, which is currently in clinical development holds potential as a treatment option for weight management. They also believe it will address unmet needs for people living with obesity or being overweight, offer new hope and provide an overall better patient experience.
Zealand Pharma have collaborated with Roche Pharmaceuticals to co-develop and bring to market petrelintide, as announced in a recent press release. This latest news will help place Zealand Pharma as a key player in the future management of obesity. Lets take a deeper look into this drug and its future in obesity treatment.
đ The story so far GLP-1 receptor agonists
The weight loss market has been dominated by pharmaceutical companies such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly with their GLP-1 (glp-1 receptor agonists) anti-obesity drugs, Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide).
The primary mechanism of action of Wegovy and Mounjaro is through the activation of GLP-1 receptors. By stimulating these receptors, these medications can increase insulin secretion, decrease appetite and slow down gastric emptying. This combination of effects helps to reduce calorie intake and promote weight loss.
These drugs were hailed as game-changers in obesity treatment, but now petrelintide is on the horizon, promising to shake up the weight loss medication market. What is petrelintide and how does it work? Read on to find out more.
đ What is petrelintide?
Petrelintide belongs to a class of drugs that bind to and activate the amylin receptor and are called long-acting amylin analog. This once-weekly subcutaneous administration drug is a peptide designed to be a long-acting version of amylin, a hormone in the body that plays a role in regulating blood glucose levels and appetite. Clinical and preclinical data for petrelintide shows, by activating the amylin receptor, sensitivity to the satiety hormone leptin can be restored, a hormone that signals satiety. Rather than suppressing appetite, Zealand says its drug helps patients feel full faster.
As a result, Roche and Zealand believe petrelintide could deliver body weight reduction comparable to glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, but with improved tolerability and without the side effects associated with GLP-1 drugs.
đ What are the results of the petrelintide clinical trial?
Phase 1 trial
In a 16-week, Phase 1, multiple ascending dose (MAD) clinical trial, Zealand reported that petrelintide led to an average 8.3% loss in body weight for the highest of three doses tested, versus a 1.7% average weight loss for the placebo group. All gastrointestinal adverse events were mild, except for two moderate nausea and vomiting events reported in one participant, who discontinued treatment.
The MAD trial showed no serious or severe adverse events (AEs) and no withdrawals from treatment. The most frequent related adverse events were decreased appetite, early satiety, food aversion and nausea. These all were mild, transient and most had an onset within 2 days of the first dose. These MAD trial results were presented at the Obesity Society Annual Meeting (ObesityWeek) in 2024.
Phase 2 trials
ZUPREME-1 is a clinical trial investigating petrelintide in obese/overweight people without type 2 diabetes and was launched in December 2024.
ZUPREME-2 is a clinical trial which will investigate the drug in obese/overweight people with type 2 diabetes, planned for later in the first half of this year.
đĄ The future for petrelintide
Amylin analog petrelintide is emerging as an important therapeutic option for chronic weight management. The drug is unlikely to be released or face regulatory approval for several years as petrelintide is still in its early clinical development.
đ Conclusion
Obesity is one of the greatest healthcare challenges faced by society, but there is new hope with petrelintide ahead. Zealand Pharmaâs partnership with Roche is a bold step forward in the obesity treatment space, signalling the potential for ground breaking advancements in both weight loss and associated health conditions.
Sources
- Zealand Pharma and Roche enter collaboration and license
- Roche enters into an exclusive collaboration & licensing agreement with Zealand Pharma to co-develop and co-commercialise petrelintide as a potential foundational therapy for people with overweight and obesity
- Zealand Pharma announces first participant enrolled inÂ
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