--- title: "New Weight Loss Pill More Effective Than Ozempic, Tests Find" description: "Early results of a weight loss drug by Danish pharmaceutical Novo Nordisk show that it may be even more effective than semaglutide." date: "2024-03-07" modified: "2024-03-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/new-weight-loss-pill-more-effective-than-ozempic" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "novo nordisk" - "ozempic" - "semaglutide" - "Weight Loss" --- # New Weight Loss Pill More Effective Than Ozempic, Tests Find ![Early results of a weight loss drug by Danish pharmaceutical Novo Nordisk show that it may be even more effective than semaglutide.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* Promising early data from an experimental trial of a new obesity treatment pill has sent shares of Danish pharmaceutical Novo Nordisk skyrocketing, [*Bloomberg* reports](). The drug, called amycretin, helped volunteer patients lose a whopping 13 percent of their body weight over just 12 weeks. That means the new pill may be even more effective than the company's Wegovy injections, which use semaglutide, a medication that has also been used as a diabetes treatment for many years under the brand name Ozempic. In previous trials, Wegovy led to participants losing six percent of their weight after 12 weeks, and 15 percent after 68 weeks. Like semaglutide, amycretin targets GLP-1, as well as another hormone called amylin, both of which are believed to be linked to hunger and satiety. It's important to note that the sample size of the Phase 1 trial is very small and the research is still ongoing. The drug, codenamed NNC0487-0111, was [given to just 36 enrolled participants]() as an oral tablet in Fukuoka, Japan. Subsequent and much larger Phase 2, 3, and 4 trials will likely drag on for years, as [*Quartz* points out](). Nonetheless, investors are enthusiastic about the very early results, sending Novo Nordisk stock rising as much as 8.3 percent, making it the biggest publicly traded company in Europe and the 12th worldwide, according to *Bloomberg*. Other research has shown that semaglutide can have other key health benefits, including reducing [death in patients with heart disease]() and cutting the progression of diabetic kidney disease. It's still far too early to tell if amycretin could have the same benefits as well. There's also some conflicting evidence that patients [may]() or [may not]() regain their weight if they go off semaglutide. Novo Nordisk is one of several pharmaceuticals competing to bring obesity treatments to market. And investor appetite is off the charts, with analysts suggesting the industry could be worth $100 billion by 2030, [according to *Reuters*](). These treatments have become so popular that even food companies are [ringing the alarm bells](). **More on obesity drugs:** *[Semaglutide Can Cut Diabetic Kidney Disease Progression]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()