“significant weight loss” in liraglutide study

Novo Nordisk has reported that a new Phase II study shows that liraglutide treatment brings significant weight loss in obese people.

The study compared liraglutide with orlistat – a lipase inhibitor – in the treatment of obesity in people without diabetes.

Results demonstrated that a once-daily dose of liraglutide over a 20-week period led to a weight loss baseline of just over 7 kg while the orlistat-treated group experienced weight loss of just above 4 kg.

While all doses of liraglutide reduced body weight, more than three-quarters of patients treated with the higher dose experienced weight loss larger than five per cent.

Novo Nordisk also confirmed that the study showed liraglutide to be well tolerated with the overall withdrawal rate across the study around 20 per cent and less than ten per cent withdrawing because of adverse effects.

Krogsgaard Thomsen, Novo Nordisk’s chief science officer, said: “We are very encouraged by these new results. They give us reason to believe that liraglutide has the potential to become a new and important treatment option in the fight against serious obesity.”

Earlier this year, Novo Nordisk announced the results of the fourth if its five Phase III clinical trials assessing liraglutide as part of its Lead programme measuring the effect and action of the compound in diabetes patients.