Early data suggest best-in-class potential of Roche’s oral GLP-1 for obesity

Roche’s $2.7 billion bet to get itself into the obesity race appears to be showing early returns as Phase I data for the Swiss pharma’s oral GLP-1 appears to have best-in-class potential for the small molecule class that will likely have the highest upside for market opportunity. The biggest question is whether the safety profile remains competitive.

Roche (SIX:ROG; OTCQX:RHHBY) announced Wednesday morning that in a multiple-ascending dose Phase I trial in 25 patients with obesity but without Type II diabetes, treatment with once-daily oral CT-996 led to a placebo-adjusted weight loss of 6.1% after four weeks. ...