CagriSema Is Ozempic’s Newest Competitor. The Twist: It’s Made by the Same Company

In the past two years, Ozempic, a drug based on semaglutide, has seen a significant rise in popularity as a weight-loss treatment originally developed for diabetes. This success has prompted various laboratories to explore similar formulas in hopes of replicating or competing with Ozempic.

Now, the call for innovation is coming from within: Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company that developed both Ozempic and Wegovy (another weight-loss medication), has announced a new weight-loss drug called CagriSema.

CagriSema. During a meeting with investors on Tuesday, Novo Nordisk shared new details about CagriSema, which aims to be more effective than Ozempic. The compound is currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials.

According to Novo Nordisk, CagriSema combines two active ingredients: semaglutide (found in Ozempic and Wegovy) and cagrilintide, an amylin analog. The company also explained that the treatment will be administered via a weekly subcutaneous injection.

Semaglutide. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic and one of the key components of the new drug CagriSema. It’s classified as a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide type 1) receptor agonist, meaning it mimics the action of the GLP-1 hormone by interacting with its receptors.

GLP-1 plays a crucial role in our digestive process. It’s released by the body when we eat, serving two primary functions. First, it tells the brain that we’ve eaten and feel satisfied. Second, it instructs the pancreas to start producing insulin.

Ozempic’s primary purpose is to aid in glycemic control. Its effect on the brain induces a feeling of fullness, which helps individuals reduce their body weight.

Cagrilintide. Cagrilintide is a relatively new compound used in the treatment of obesity. It’s an analog of amylin (and calcitonin) and acts as an agonist for some of the receptors associated with these hormones. Amylin, like insulin, is secreted by the pancreas and plays an important role in regulating blood sugar levels.

Cagrilintide, a drug analog, is being utilized as a weight-loss treatment because, like semaglutide, it reduces food intake. Scientists had already studied this treatment individually. Now, Novo Nordisk is close to introducing it in a new combination drug.

Further potential. Preliminary data from clinical studies suggest that CagriSema could achieve a weight reduction of 15.6% after 32 weeks, which is already a greater loss compared to drugs like Wegovy. However, Novo Nordisk indicates that its estimates suggest a significantly higher potential, predicting a reduction of about 25%.

Image | Sam Moghadam Khamseh

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