Regeneron's weight-loss drug combo helps preserve muscle in study

Reuters

2 days ago

June 2 (Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN.O), opens new tab said on Monday a combination of its experimental drug and Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO), opens new tab obesity drug Wegovy helped patients lose weight while preserving lean muscle mass in a mid-stage trial.
The combination of Regeneron's drug, trevogrumab, and Wegovy helped preserve up to 51.3% of the lean mass after 26 weeks, compared with 34.5% loss when Wegovy was administered alone, according to interim data from the 599-patient study.
The results mark an early win for Regeneron as it races against a dozen companies to develop obesity treatments that preserve muscle, as they seek to find the next breakthrough in the potential $150 billion weight-loss drug market.
Blockbuster weight-loss drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lily (LLY.N), opens new tab have helped patients shed fat, but also led to muscle loss that can increase the risk of falls and decrease overall strength, which could be especially harmful for older patients.
Wegovy helped patients shed about 23 pounds in the study, about 7.9 pounds of which constituted lean mass, while the combination of Regeneron's trevogrumab and Wegovy led to weight loss of about 21.6 pounds, with only 3.7 pounds in lean mass.
"While we wait for detailed data, we believe that these data give a glimpse into the potential for these drugs to preserve muscle," said Truist analyst Srikripa Devarakonda.
Meanwhile, a triple combination of Novo's semaglutide, Regeneron's trevogrumab and experimental antibody garetosmab led to a substantially higher rate of discontinuation due to tolerability issues and other side effects, Regeneron said.
The full data set will be available later this year, the drugmaker said.
Regeneron on Monday announced a licensing deal worth up to $2.01 billion with China's Hansoh Pharmaceuticals (3692.HK), opens new tab for an experimental obesity drug.