Amgen Inc. AMGN has kicked off two crucial phase three trials for MariTide, its investigational weight loss injection. This move marks a significant step in the company’s pursuit to break into the growing market for obesity drugs.
What Happened: The MARITIME program, the drug’s phase three development program, is advancing remarkably well, said Dr. Jay Bradner, Amgen’s Executive Vice President of Research and Development at the 45th Annual TDCowen Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, as per CNBC. MariTide, a monthly injection, is anticipated to rival the existing weekly weight loss injectables from Novo Nordisk‘s NVO Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly‘s LLY Zepbound. These medications belong to a class called GLP-1s, which mimic specific gut hormones to regulate appetite and blood sugar levels.
The initial trial in the new phase three series will evaluate MariTide in approximately 3,500 individuals with obesity or those who are overweight but do not have Type 2 diabetes. The second trial will evaluate MariTide in 999 patients who are obese or overweight and have Type 2 diabetes. Both studies are primarily focussed to measure the percentage of weight loss over 72 weeks.
In November, Amgen revealed that MariTide enabled obesity patients to lose an average of up to 20% of their weight over a year in a phase two trial, without reaching a weight loss plateau. However, these results did not meet Wall Street’s lofty expectations for the drug. Amgen is set to release additional information on MariTide this year.
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Why It Matters: According to Morgan Stanley Research, the global market for weight-loss drugs is projected to reach $105 billion by 2030. The obesity drug market is also highly competitive, with companies like Novo Nordisk recently enhancing access to its weight-loss medication, Wegovy, by lowering prices and offering home delivery. Amgen’s entry into this market with MariTide could potentially disrupt the current market dynamics.
Moreover, Amgen’s recent success with its partnered asthma drug with AstraZeneca AZN in treating chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, further underscores the company’s commitment to addressing significant health issues. The success of MariTide in the upcoming trials could further cement Amgen’s position in the pharmaceutical industry.
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