When Pfizer revealed on Friday that it was discontinuing a twice-daily obesity therapy after more than half of the participants in a clinical study quit taking it, the drugmaker’s stock fell sharply.
When Pfizer announced on Friday that it would discontinue a twice-daily obesity therapy after more than half of the participants in a clinical study quit taking it, the drugmaker’s stock fell sharply.
Instead of beginning late-stage research on the other medication, danuglipron, the pharmaceutical company said that it would concentrate on this version. The latest and most costly trials a pharmaceutical does before requesting regulatory permission are typically known as late-stage research.
One of the newest and most profitable areas of medicine is treating obesity. Rivals of Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly have already introduced injectable medications to the market. However, Novo and Pfizer are also working on creating more patient-friendly tablet forms.
In a mid-stage study of twice-daily danuglipron, Pfizer reported that patient dropout rates exceeded 50% at all dosages. This contrasts with around 40% for the phony or placebo medication.
The manufacturer of the medication noted that, although prevalent, adverse effects were minimal. Up to 47% of patients had vomiting episodes, while up to 73% of patients had nausea.
Statistically substantial weight loss was seen by researchers in people who were obese but did not have type 2 diabetes. It varied across individuals on the medication, from around 7% to over 11%.
In contrast, in late-stage studies, obese individuals without diabetes dropped around 18% of their body weight after taking Eli Lilly’s Zepbound in comparison to a placebo.
Zepbound was given FDA approval last month to treat obesity.
Dr. Mikael Dolsten, Chief Scientific Officer of Pfizer, stated in a statement on Friday that the firm will concentrate on developing a once-daily version of danuglipron as a potential treatment for obesity.
According to a Pfizer spokesperson, the business is researching that version in its early stages and plans to release findings early in 2019.
Midmorning trading saw shares of Pfizer Inc., located in New York, fall by over 5% to $28.98, while larger indices remained neutral.
The drugmaker’s difficult year continued with that decline. Before Friday, Pfizer’s stock had already dropped by 40%.
Obesity and Treatment
The aim of treating obesity is to get to and maintain a healthy weight. This enhances general health and reduces the likelihood of obesity-related problems.
To better understand and modify your food and exercise habits, you might need to collaborate with a group of medical specialists, such as a nutritionist, behavioral counselor, or obesity expert.
Typically, the first treatment objective is to lose 5% to 10% of your body weight. This implies that in order for your health to start improving, you would only need to shed around 10 to 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kilograms) if you weighed 200 pounds (91 kilograms). However, the advantages increase with the amount of weight lost.
Every weight-loss program calls on you to increase your physical activity and make dietary changes. Your weight, general health, and desire to follow a weight-loss plan will determine which therapy options are best for you.
The secret to reducing obesity is cutting calories and adopting better eating practices. Even though you could lose weight rapidly initially, the safest strategy to reduce weight is to lose weight gradually over time. It’s also the most effective approach to maintaining weight loss over time.
Treatment options for obesity with diet include:
- reducing the number of calories. The secret to losing weight is cutting back on your caloric intake. Examining your normal eating and drinking routines is the first step. You may check how many calories you typically eat and identify areas for reduction. How many calories you need to consume daily to lose weight is something you and your healthcare provider may determine together. For women, a normal serving size is 1,200–1,500 calories, whereas for men, it is 1,500–1,800.
- feeling less than full. Certain foods, such as sweets, candies, fats, and processed meals, have a high calorie content per serving. Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, offer a higher serving size with fewer calories. You can lessen cravings for food and consume fewer calories by eating greater quantities of lower-calorie items. Additionally, you can feel better about your food, which raises your level of satisfaction in general.
- deciding on healthier options. Eat more plant-based foods to improve the health of your diet as a whole. They consist of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Additionally, place an emphasis on lean meats and other lean protein sources like soy, lentils, and beans. Try to eat fish twice a week if you enjoy it. Cut back on added sugar and salt. Consume fats in moderation, and make sure they come from heart-healthy sources such as nuts, canola, and olive oils.
Increasing one’s level of exercise or physical activity is crucial for treating obesity.
- Work out. Individuals who suffer from obesity should engage in moderate-intense physical exercise for at least 150 minutes each week. This helps sustain weight reduction or stop additional weight gain by a moderate amount. As your endurance and fitness improve, you’ll probably need to progressively increase the quantity of exercise you get in.
- Continue your journey. Any additional movement helps burn calories, even though regular aerobic exercise is the most effective strategy to burn calories and lose excess weight. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, for instance, and park further away from store doors. You can keep track of how many steps you walk each day with a pedometer.
Medication for weight loss should not be used in place of diet, exercise, and behavioral changes. Your healthcare provider will take into account potential side effects in addition to your medical history when choosing a medicine for you.
The most widely used pharmaceuticals approved by the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers the following therapies for obesity:
- Naltrexone with bupropion (contrave)
- Astagliptide (Liraglutide).
- Orlistat (Xenical, Alli).
- Qsymia is phentermine-topiramate.
- Semaglutide (Wegovy, Rybelsus, and Ozempic)
Not everyone will benefit from weight-loss medications, and their benefits may eventually wear off. You can gain back most or all of the weight you lost after you stop using a medication for weight loss.
