Roche Highlights Early Trial Success of Obesity Drug candidate

Roche announced that another drug candidate acquired from Carmot Therapeutics showed positive results in an early trial, establishing the Swiss company as a strong competitor in the obesity drug development race. They reported in a statement that their experimental daily pill CT-996 showed an average weight loss of 6.1% within four weeks in obese patients without diabetes during a Phase I trial, after adjusting for the placebo effect.

The pharmaceutical firm, along with increasing competitors like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, has entered the market for weight-loss injections, which are highly sought after, leading experts to project sales for these treatments to reach as high as $150 billion by the early 2030s.

According to the statement, Roche's experimental pill, which may be preferred by patients who dislike injections, was well received with mostly mild or moderate gastrointestinal side effects that were comparable to those of other weight-loss medications.

On the other hand, Roche is encountering stiff competition and a rapidly progressing industry in its efforts to provide pills as an alternative to weekly injections while maintaining effectiveness in inducing weight loss. Last month, Structure Therapeutics (GPCR.O) announced a 6.2% average placebo-adjusted weight loss after 12 weeks from their pill in a Phase II clinical trial.