AstraZeneca has made a major push into the weight-loss drug market by signing an exclusive licence agreement with Chinese company Eccogene for an experimental obesity and type 2 diabetes pill. The deal, worth up to $2bn (£1.6bn), covers ECC5004, a once-daily oral treatment that also targets cardiometabolic conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
The drug, currently in phase 1 development, is expected to enter phase 2 clinical studies by the end of next year. Unlike existing injected treatments, which are typically taken weekly, ECC5004 could be taken as a daily pill, either alone or in combination with other medicines. It belongs to a class known as GLP-1 agonists, which mimic a hormone released by the stomach after eating.
AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said there was an “enormous need” for obesity treatments in western countries as well as regions such as Latin America and south Asia, where abdominal obesity is common. He added that the simplified chemistry of the new drug would make it cheaper to produce, potentially allowing it to reach a “much broader pool of population” worldwide, including lower-income countries.
The announcement comes amid intense competition in the global obesity market. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic have seen soaring demand, while Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro was approved for weight loss in the UK on Wednesday. Pfizer and others are also developing oral alternatives. AstraZeneca separately reported a 5% rise in revenues to $33.8bn for the first nine months of the year, helped by its cancer and diabetes treatments.
