Novo Nordisk reports new Saxenda clinical trial data

Novo Nordisk has announced positive new data from the phase IIIa Scale clinical trial of its obesity drug Saxenda.

Results presented at the Endocrine Society's latest annual meeting showing that adults who were able to lose weight through treatment demonstrated greater improvements across a range of efficacy outcomes, when treated in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

It was shown that 63.2 percent of adults achieved a clinically meaningful body weight reduction of at least five percent with Saxenda, compared with 27.1 percent of those receiving placebo. The average weight loss for responders on Saxenda treatment was 11.7 percent, compared to 1.7 percent for non-responders.

Moreover, the patients were also shown to experience improvements in blood glucose, cardiovascular risk factors and quality of life outcomes.

Dr Patrick O'Neil, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina, said: "These are important findings, as they show that for adults with obesity or who are overweight with comorbidities, losing five to ten percent of their body weight can help improve comorbidities."

Last month, the company reported positive phase II trial data showing the drug's effectiveness in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.