Ozempic Maker Reveals New Weight Loss Pill That's Twice Better Than Celebrity Fave Jab
Ozempic and Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk has unveiled a new obesity pill that it says helps patients lose weight twice as fast as the trendy injections popular among celebrities and influencers.
The company announced positive early trial data for the pill version of the experimental drug amycretin.
During a Phase I trial, patients lost 13.1% of their weight after 12 weeks of taking the drug, Reuters reported.
In comparison, the company's popular weight loss drug Wegovy helped trial participants shed 6% of their weight within the same period and 15% after 68 weeks.
Drug trials are ongoing for amycretin, which works by targeting amylin, a hormone in the pancreas that affects hunger.
The results of the early trial have already boosted Novo Nordisk's value.
Following its announcement, the company's share prices rose by more than 8%, resulting in Novo Nordisk becoming the 12th most valuable company in the world.
According to LSEG data cited by Reuters, the Denmark-headquartered pharmaceutical company's market valuation climbed to $566 billion Thursday, making it more valuable than Tesla and Visa.
In recent years, Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy gained massive attention as celebrities and influencers publicly spoke about taking them to lose weight.
While they both contain the active ingredient semaglutide, Ozempic is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is used to treat obesity.
Both drugs "decrease appetite and slow down emptying of the stomach so people feel less hungry and eat less," according to University of Colorado Health.
Back in 2022, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that Wegovy was one of his weight loss secrets.
Sheryl Underwood also shared in an interview with The Messenger in 2023 that she lost 100 pounds while taking the weight loss drug.
Despite not being FDA-approved for weight loss, Ozempic has been used for this purpose by stars, including Boy George, Tracy Morgan, Amy Schumer, "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Heather Gay, "Real Housewives of Orange County" star Emily Simpson and Claudia Oshry.
Some well-known figures also admitted to taking the Ozempic competitor Mounjaro to lose weight.
Charles Barkley shared on the "Pat McAfee Show" in 2023 that he lost over 60 pounds, while Caroline Manzo's daughter, Lauren Manzo, told Page Six's podcast that she'd shed 30 pounds with the help of the drug.
In December last year, Oprah Winfrey admitted to taking a weight-loss medication but did not specify which one.
The media mogul confirmed that she uses the medication "as a tool to manage not yo-yoing."
Winfrey added, "The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I'm absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself."
