Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) said on Sunday that it plans to seek US and European regulatory approval of a high-dose oral version of its wight loss drug, semaglutide.
Known as Wegovy and Ozempic, the new formulation was shown to be effective in a late-stage trial.
The study, which involved 667 obese and overweight adults, found that the high-dose oral semaglutide resulted in average weight loss of 15.1% after 68 weeks when used alongside diet and physical activity. This is in line with recent results for other experimental obesity pills.
Novo Nordisk already markets an oral semaglutide, under the brand name Rybelsus, for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes. The highest dose of Rybelsus is 14mg, while the high-dose oral semaglutide that is being tested is 50mg.
"We are upping production as much as we can," said Mico Guevarra, medical director at Novo Nordisk. "We believe that this high-dose oral semaglutide has the potential to be a significant treatment option for people with obesity."
The timing of a market launch for the high-dose oral semaglutide has not yet been determined.