Novo Nordisk’s Blockbuster Drug Fails To Slow Alzheimer’s Disease Progression In Studies

• Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Novo’s blockbuster drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. 
• The company said it decided to test the drug in Alzheimer’s disease based on real-world evidence and preclinical models.
• The company conducted two late-stage studies in Alzheimer’s disease, and while an improvement of disease-related biomarkers was observed in both trials with Semaglutide, it did not delay the progression of the disease.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) on Monday said that its late-stage trials evaluating oral Semaglutide in Alzheimer’s disease did not confirm its superiority over placebo in slowing disease progression.

Shares of the company slumped 11% in the pre-market session at the time of writing

Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Novo’s blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy. The company said that it decided to test the drug in Alzheimer’s based on real-world evidence studies, pre-clinical models, as well as post-hoc analyses from diabetes and obesity trials. The compound, belonging to the category known as GLP-1 drugs, is marketed as Ozempic and Rybelsus for the treatment of type 2 diabetes as well.

Trial Outcomes

The company conducted two late-stage studies in Alzheimer’s disease, and while an improvement of disease-related biomarkers was observed in both trials with Semaglutide, it did not delay the progression of the disease, the company said. The two trials enrolled a total of 3,808 adults and were aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of oral Semaglutide compared to placebo on top of standard of care in early-stage symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a leading cause of memory loss or dementia. It is a progressive disease where symptoms gradually worsen over time. Semaglutide appears to have a safe and well-tolerated profile in the studies with patients aged 55-85 suffering from mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, Novo noted.

The company said that it is discontinuing the trials. However, the data generated will continue to provide benefits for individuals with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and related comorbidities, it added. The data from the trials will also be presented at future conferences, the company said.

Semaglutide And Its Many Indications

Semaglutide is Novo's biggest asset. In the nine months through the end of September, the company reported sales of DKK 95.264 billion ($14.721.52 billion) from Ozempic, DKK 16.790 billion from Rybelsus and DKK 57.242 billion from Wegovy, togetherly accounting for about 74% of the company’s overall sales in the period. 

An approval in Alzheimer’s could have helped the company ramp revenue from the compound as its rivalry with American GLP-1 drugmaker Eli Lilly intensifies. 

The company’s drop in share price prompted a change in CEO earlier this year and layoffs.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around NVO stayed within the ‘bearish’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume stayed at ‘low’ levels.

NVO stock is down 45% this year and by 54% over the past 12 months.

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