Positive new Ph IIIa data on Novo Nordisk’s liraglutide

New data for Danish diabetes care giant Novo Nordisk’s (NOV: N) liraglutide 3mg from the Phase IIIa SCALET Obesity and Prediabetes trial were presented at the International Congress of Endocrinology (ICE) and the Endocrine Society's meeting (ENDO) on June 21, showing positive impact on cardiovascular risk markers and fewer people progressing to pre-diabetes compared with placebo in adults with obesity.

In addition to a greater body-weight loss, significantly fewer people with obesity and normal blood glucose at baseline progressed to pre-diabetes with liraglutide 3mg treatment (6.9%) at 56 weeks, compared with placebo (19.9%, p<0.0001). Additionally, liraglutide 3mg treatment resulted in improvements in a wide range of cardiovascular disease risk markers, compared with placebo. Individuals in the trial with pre-diabetes are continuing in their randomized cohort for an additional two years.

“Many risk factors need to be considered in the management of obesity, as it can be associated with a number of co-morbidities, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes,” said Xavier Pi-Sunyer, co-director of The New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center and lead investigator of the trial. “It’s encouraging to see the weight loss demonstrated by liraglutide 3mg, combined with the improvements in blood glucose levels and other cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and lipids,” he added.

Statistically-significant improvement in risk for CV disease