Novo Nordisk's China Obesity Drug Cuts Nearly One-Fifth Of Body Weight

The United Laboratories International Holdings Limited (TUL) and Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) on Tuesday shared topline results from a Chinese phase 2 trial of UBT251, a triple agonist of the receptors for GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon (triple G). In March 2025, the companies inked an exclusive license agreement worth over $2 billion in upfront and milestone payments. United Biotechnology is responsible for the development of UBT251 in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, while Novo Nordisk is responsible for the development in the rest of the world. Positioning Against Eli Lilly’s Retatrutide UBT251 is designed to challenge Eli Lilly & Co.’s (NYSE:LLY) ‘Triple G’ obesity drug, retatrutide, which has already shown promising weight loss results. The China trial, conducted by United Biotechnology, investigated the safety and efficacy of once-weekly injectable 2 mg, 4 mg, and 6 mg doses of UBT251 compared to placebo in Chinese people with overweight or obesity. From a baseline mean body weight of 92.2 kg, the highest mean weight loss observed for people treated with UBT251 was 19.7% (-17.5 kg) compared to 2.0% (-1.6kg) in the placebo group after 24 weeks of treatment. All dose groups of UBT251 showed statistically significant improvements relative to placebo on key secondary endpoints, including waist circumference, blood glucose, blood pressure, and lipids. Safety and Tolerability Profile In the trial, UBT251 appeared to have a safe and well-tolerated profile. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal, and the vast majority were mild to moderate and diminished over time, consistent with incretin-based therapies. “We are very encouraged by these data from the trial in China, which demonstrate the potential of UBT251 and its differentiated clinical profile and safety and tolerability profile,” said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president, chief scientific officer, and head of Research and Development at Novo Nordisk. “We look forward to reporting data from a global trial with UBT251 conducted by Novo Nordisk next year.” Global Development Pipeline Novo Nordisk recently initiated a global phase 1b/2a trial of different doses of UBT251 for up to 28 weeks in around 330 people living with overweight or obesity. Topline data from that trial is expected in 2027. Novo Nordisk also expects to initiate a phase 2 trial with UBT251 in people with type 2 diabetes in the second half of 2026. United Biotechnology will present detailed data from the Chinese phase 2 trial at a medical congress later this year. Based on the results of this trial, the company is planning to initiate a phase 3 trial in Chinese patients with overweight or obesity. REDEFINE 4 Setback and Competitive Landscape On Monday, Novo Nordisk’s stock plunged on disappointing headline data from its REDEFINE 4, an open-label phase 3 trial from the global REDEFINE clinical trial program. The trial did not achieve its primary endpoint of demonstrating non-inferiority on weight loss for CagriSema compared to Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide after 84 weeks. NVO Price Action: Novo Nordisk shares were down 2.85% at $38.50 during premarket trading on Tuesday. The stock is trading at a new 52-week low, according to Benzinga Pro data. Photo via Shutterstock