Pfizer Ends Development Of Weight Loss Pill Due To Potential Drug-Induced Liver Injury In A Patient

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. (PFE) on Monday announced that it is ending the development of its experimental weight loss drug after one patient in its trial group reported a potential drug-induced liver injury.

The company announced that it is ceasing the development of danuglipron, its oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. The drug was being experimented on as a potential aid for chronic weight management.

According to Pfizer, the reported patient’s liver enzymes “recovered rapidly” after they stopped taking the company’s experimental weight loss pill.

Pfizer’s chief scientific officer Chris Boshoff said that while the company is disappointed to discontinue the development of danuglipron, it remains committed to evaluating and advancing promising programs in an effort to bring innovative new medicines to patients.

This comes as the company has been trying to catch up to other pharmaceutical companies, such as Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, in the weight management area.

This is not the first time Pfizer has ended the development of its experimental weight loss drugs. In 2023, the company scrapped its weight management pill due to a similar issue, where patients reported a surge in their liver enzymes while participating in the trial.

“We plan to continue applying our global capabilities to advance a pipeline of investigational treatments that have the potential to fill critical gaps in patient care,” the company said.

Danuglipron is not the only weight loss drug in Pfizer's portfolio—the company is currently developing another GLP-1 weight loss drug, which is undergoing phase one trials, while a blocker for gut hormone called GIPR is in phase two trials.

Pfizer’s stock was down 0.8% in Monday’s pre-market trading session at the time of writing.

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