CagriSema is a once-weekly investigational fixed-dose injectable combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide for obesity and overweight management, with additional type 2 diabetes development. Novo Nordisk filed an FDA NDA in December 2025 for weight management use. The product remained unapproved in both the U.S. and EU at the time of source publication.
The FDA moved to exclude semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide from its 503B compounding list. Eli Lilly won U.S. approval for its oral pill Foundayo, and Novo Nordisk sued Lilly over allegedly misleading weight-loss ads.
Amgen shares have fallen 12.6% in three months despite relatively solid Q1 results, while Novo Nordisk maintains a 54.6% global GLP-1 market share. Both companies face pipeline competition and pricing pressures.
Novo Nordisk struggles against Eli Lilly in the weight loss market as CagriSema underperforms Zepbound, though new candidate UBT251 shows promise with 19.7% weight loss in 24 weeks. The company expects sales to decline in 2026 despite oral Wegovy's success.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide represent distinct GLP-1-based weight management medications with different mechanisms of action. Clinical trials show varying weight loss outcomes, while new combination therapies undergo head-to-head testing.
Novo Nordisk and China's United Biotechnology reported that experimental obesity drug UBT251 led to mean weight loss of up to 19.7% in a midstage clinical trial in China, expanding Novo's obesity pipeline.
Novo Nordisk's next-generation obesity drug CagriSema achieved 23% weight reduction compared to 25.5% for Eli Lilly's tirzepatide in an 84-week trial, causing Novo shares to fall 15% and raising questions about its competitive position.
CagriSema demonstrated 23% weight loss in the REDEFINE 4 trial but failed to meet its primary endpoint of non-inferiority compared to tirzepatide's 25.5% weight loss. The company submitted an FDA application in December 2025 based on earlier pivotal trials.
Novo Nordisk's experimental weight loss drug CagriSema achieved 23% weight loss after 84 weeks compared to 25.5% with Eli Lilly's tirzepatide in a head-to-head Phase 3 trial, sending Novo shares down 15% in Copenhagen.
Novo Nordisk's next-generation obesity drug CagriSema achieved 23% weight reduction compared to 25.5% for Eli Lilly's tirzepatide in an 84-week trial, sending Novo shares down 15% and erasing over $400 billion in market value since 2024.
The UK and US announced a pharmaceuticals agreement featuring zero tariffs and a 25% increase in UK spending on innovative medicines. Major pharma M&A deals and regulatory reforms are reshaping the industry in early 2026.
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCT07564414 |
A Research Study to Look at How Two Different Doses of CagriSema and One Dose of Semaglutide Help People Living With Obesity With or Without Type 2 Diabetes Lose Weight |
RECRUITING | PHASE3 |
| NCT07357766 |
A Research Study to Compare Different Versions of Injectable CagriSema and Placebo in People With Excess Body Weight |
WITHDRAWN | PHASE3 |
| NCT07357740 |
A Research Study to Compare Two Different Versions of Injectable CagriSema in People With Type 2 Diabetes |
WITHDRAWN | PHASE2 |
