Liraglutide cuts weight in obese non-diabetics

Data from a Phase II study comparing Danish insulin specialist Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 analog, liraglutide, with the lipase inhibitor orlistat in obese non-diabetic patients, indicates that liraglutide reduces body weight across a range of dosages. The results also showed that, at 20 weeks, patients given the highest liraglutide dose achieved nearly double the mean weight reduction of those in the orlistat group (7kg versus 4kg).

Nordisk also reported that between 80% and 90% of the 170 participants in the liraglutide-treated group who had demonstrated signs of pre-diabetes at the beginning of the trial no longer displayed these symptoms at the end of the 20-week assessment. In the orlistat and placebo arms, only 40% of subjects showed this level of improvement.

As a result of the findings, Lehman Brothers has revised its PharmaPipelines net present value guide for liraglutide in the obesity indication to 10.91 Danish kroner from the 4.56 kroner per share previously forecast. The analysts also said that the product, for which they expect a 2012 launch, will achieve peak annual sales of $1.0 billion, and added that they ascribe Nordisk a NPV of 631.0 kroner per share.