LEXINGTON, Mass. — New obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are currently taken once a week, indefinitely. But what if they could be taken once a year instead, like a vaccine?
That’s a question that Novo Nordisk, the pharma company behind Wegovy, is exploring as it faces increased competition from other drugmakers aiming to develop similar GLP-1-based treatments for obesity.
advertisement
“We have a very early think tank on: what would it take us, from a technology point of view and from an ecosystem point of view, to make long-lasting GLP-1 molecules?” Marcus Schindler, Novo’s chief scientific officer, said in an interview with STAT Wednesday. “Could we think about vaccine-like properties, where imagine you had, once a year, an injection with an equivalent of a GLP-1 that really helps you to maintain weight loss and have cardiovascular benefits?”
Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.
Subscribe Log In
Previous article：
Gritstone Bio's cancer vaccine test, and more on Novartis' deal
Next article： Peter Hotez and the public health issue of online harassment
Next article： Peter Hotez and the public health issue of online harassment
