Novo Nordisk Shares Dip as Analysis Reveals Superior Weight Loss with Lilly’s Mounjaro

9th July 2024 By The Global Heroes Health

Shares of Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), the maker of the popular obesity drug Wegovy, fell by 1.1% on Tuesday following a new analysis that suggests Eli Lilly's (LLY.N) treatment Mounjaro results in more significant and faster weight loss.

The analysis, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, examined health records to compare weight loss among overweight and obese patients taking tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound, and semaglutide, the main ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic.

Researchers analyzed weight loss trajectories for 9,193 patients using Mounjaro and an equal number of patients using Ozempic, with an average participant weight of 242 pounds (110 kg) and approximately half having type 2 diabetes.

The findings showed that patients on Mounjaro were 76% more likely to lose at least 5% of their body weight, over twice as likely to lose at least 10%, and more than three times as likely to lose at least 15% compared to those on Ozempic.

Novo Nordisk acknowledged the analysis but emphasized that it did not include Wegovy and noted that the best comparison would be a head-to-head clinical trial, which has yet to be conducted. Eli Lilly did not respond to requests for comment.

Both companies, leading producers of insulin, are pioneering effective weight-loss drugs in a rapidly growing market projected to reach $150 billion in annual sales by the early 2030s. Despite differences in their drug's market entry times—Wegovy launched in the U.S. in 2021, while Zepbound only entered late last year—both Novo Nordisk and Lilly are expanding production to meet demand.

The initial results of this analysis were published in November on medRxiv before peer review, and Novo Nordisk and Lilly shares remain at record highs fueled by profits from their weight-loss drugs.