BioCentury
ARTICLE | Product Development

Novo’s Phase II miss in obesity oral amps up pressure on BD 

Ph II data from CB1 blocker monlunabant show poor weight loss at 16 weeks, plus neuropsychiatric adverse events

September 20, 2024 9:21 PM UTC

Novo Nordisk’s miss in its latest obesity data is yet another reminder that the sun doesn’t shine forever, putting the company back in the buyer’s market for an oral obesity therapy if it wants to maintain its leadership position.

On top of being the pharma’s worst news in a long while, the Phase II failure is a big miss for CB1 as a target in obesity, a mechanism that had garnered growing support, with Novo Nordisk A/S (CSE:NOVO-B; NYSE:NVO) the first pharma to pick it up for obesity.  ...