Amgen released detailed data on Thursday suggesting an early-stage drug can induce significant weight loss in patients with obesity, with less frequent dosing than current treatments but a safety profile that remains unclear.
The results for the molecule, codenamed AMG133, throw Amgen in a long-gestating race with other major drugmakers that burst into the popular press this year.
Eli Lilly and the diabetes giant Novo Nordisk both market drugs that were recently shown to lower body weight by around 15% to 20% after a little over a year. (Lilly’s is currently approved only for diabetes, but it plans to submit for obesity next year.) The injectables have been highly sought after by both obesity specialist physicians, who have long searched in vain for something safe and effective to offer their patients, and celebrities hoping to look svelte in their next appearance.
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