Pfizer has ended development of its experimental daily weight loss pill due to a patient experiencing a liver injury potentially caused by the drug in a trial. The patient’s liver enzymes recovered rapidly after stopping the pill, but the incident adds to a string of setbacks for Pfizer’s bid to win a slice of the booming market for GLP-1s.
The company had been confident in its once-daily form of danuglipron before it experienced this setback. However, studies conducted later showed that the dose used was too high and may have caused liver damage. Despite this, Pfizer believes its pipeline of other obesity drugs, such as an oral GIPR blocker, holds promise.
Other companies, like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, are already successful in the GLP-1 market with their injections and oral medications. However, Pfizer remains committed to bringing innovative weight loss medicines to patients. The company’s shares have recovered somewhat after a rapid decline following its COVID business, but obesity is still seen as a key focus for long-term growth.
The GLP-1 industry is expected to be worth more than $150 billion by the early 2030s, with oral GLP-1s potentially accounting for half of that value. Pfizer’s decision highlights the challenges faced by the company in this space, but its commitment to developing new weight loss treatments remains unchanged.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/14/pfizer-scraps-daily-weight-loss-pill-danuglipron.html