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Shares of Structure Therapeutics surged more than 30% on Friday after the successful Phase 1b trial of their experimental obesity pill.
In a small early-stage trial, the once-daily drug helped overweight or obese participants lose an average of 10 pounds after four weeks of treatment, as announced in a press release by Structure Therapeutics. The company plans to conduct two longer midstage trials to examine the pill’s efficacy in treating diabetes and obesity.
Structure’s pill is part of the same class of drugs as Novo Nordisk‘s highly successful diabetes drug, Ozempic, and its weight loss counterpart, Wegovy.
GLP-1s, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have gained significant popularity this year for their ability to curb appetite and aid in weight loss by mimicking a hormone in the gut.
Companies like Structure are looking to capitalize on the booming obesity drug industry, projected to be worth $100 billion globally by the end of the decade.
Structure’s pill could potentially rival oral obesity drugs from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer, all of which are currently awaiting approval in the U.S. Analysts believe that the availability of cheaper pill versions of GLP-1s could expand the market and improve patient access to obesity drugs.
Pills are easier to produce than injections, reducing the risk of supply shortages encountered by injectable drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug, Mounjaro. Additionally, pills are typically more cost-effective than injections, although it remains uncertain if the same will apply to obesity treatments.
Wegovy is priced at over $1,300 per monthly package, while Ozempic costs approximately $935. Novo Nordisk’s diabetes pill, Rybelsus, shares the same list price as Ozempic for a monthly supply of 30 tablets.
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