Pfizer's pursuit of a daily pill to tackle obesity has hit a setback. The pharmaceuticals giant has paused development of its oral obesity drug, danuglipron, after a possible liver injury experienced by a trial participant. The incident occurred during phase 3 testing, the final stage before seeking regulatory approval, per the AP. The participant's liver issue resolved after discontinuing the GLP-1 medicine. The decision follows Pfizer's earlier abandonment of a twice-daily version of the drug due to high dropout rates in trials.
A Pfizer rep says in a statement that the affected patient's liver enzymes "recovered rapidly" after they stopped taking danuglipron, suggesting their enzymes were elevated—a sign of possible damage to liver cells, per CNBC. Otherwise, the patient didn't have liver-related side effects or symptoms, the spokesperson notes.
Obesity treatments have become big moneymakers for pharmaceuticals companies, with Eli Lilly's Zepbound earning nearly $5 billion in 2024. The Wall Street Journal calls the obesity market "white hot," with analysts expecting it to hit $100 billion by 2030. However, current market leaders like Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic are injectable treatments; companies have been working on pill versions for easier consumption.
story continues below
A company official said that Pfizer plans to continue pursuing other obesity treatments that are still in the early stages of testing. Chris Boshoff, Pfizer's chief scientific officer, calls the development "disappointing," but he notes that the company remains "committed to evaluating and advancing promising programs in an effort to bring innovative new medicines to patients," per the Journal. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
