Sept 29 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly said its oral obesity drug, Foundayo, offers greater weight loss and better blood sugar control than a higher dose of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic pill in adults with type 2 diabetes, citing data from existing studies.
The findings were based on an indirect comparison of Lilly’s 17.2-milligram dose of Foundayo and Novo’s 25-mg Ozempic pill, previously known as Rybelsus, using data from two previous late-stage studies, the US drugmaker said on Tuesday.
“Head-to-head trials ultimately provide the best comparison of two medicines, but when we don’t yet have those data, then other approaches can provide informative data points,” said Rachel Batterham, senior vice president of medical innovation and external engagement, Lilly Cardiometabolic Health.
Novo’s 25 mg once-daily dose of oral semaglutide is not approved in the United States for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The Danish drugmaker expects the FDA’s decision on it by the end of 2026.
“It is important to note that the just-announced indirect treatment comparison is in people with type 2 diabetes, not in those with obesity, and people with T2D simply do not lose as much weight in clinical studies,” a Novo spokesperson told Reuters in an email.
Ozempic pill contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient in Novo’s blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy. Both medicines belong to the popular GLP-1 class of treatments, which help regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite.
Lilly and Novo, the leading players in the rapidly growing obesity market, are racing to defend and expand their positions as rivals advance next-generation treatments that promise greater convenience, tolerability and effectiveness.
Lilly said its analyses using different statistical methods produced consistent results. It said Foundayo 17.2 mg showed 1.5% to 2.4% greater weight loss and 0.3% to 0.6% larger reductions in A1C compared with oral semaglutide 25 mg.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
