Existing diabetes drug Victoza could be effective treatment for world’s obese

Pharmaceutical companies are racing to find a new form of obesity drug as patient numbers spiral and current products suffer from poor efficacy and reputation, according to new research from analyst firm Datamonitor Healthcare.

Leading the way is Danish insulin giant Novo Nordisk (NOV: N) with its diabetes drug Victoza (liraglutide) which is currently undergoing regulatory scrutiny in the USA and European Union. In its diabetes indication, Victoza generated first-quarter sales of 2.92 billion Danish kroner ($538 million) for the company. It is approved and marketed at lower doses of 1.2mg and 1.8mg once-daily.

Nearly 180 million people across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, as well as the USA, are classified as obese and this number is set to rise to just under 200 million by 2030. Numbers in the UK will reach 16 million by the end of the next decade.