New Monthly GLP-1 Could Be as Good as Ozempic, Mounjaro for Weight Loss

A new drug called Marititide is promising for weight loss, According to the results of a phase 2 clinical trial published on June 23.

People with obesity who took the medication, which is made by Amgen, lost 16% of their body weight Over 52 weeks. Among the participants at the same time with obesity and type 2 diabetes, the maritide led to the two Weight loss and improvement in glycated hemoglobin levels (HBA1C), Also.

Maritide is a Peptide-1 drug of Glucagon type (GLP-1), similar to successful drugs Ozempic and Wegovy (Sémaglutide) and Mounjaro and Zepbounde (shooting).

What distinguishes this new drug, however, is that the maritide also contains a “conjugate molecule with peptide antibodies”, which extends the effects of the drug. As such, It can be administered once a month.

The semaglutide and the shooting are effective, but many people have trouble accessing and joining the injections once a week. Less frequent injection could facilitate collaboration for patients with their GLP-1, Reduce barriers and increase long -term health results.

Although it is not clear when the drug can be available, “He is an excellent additional agent to have in our approach to obesity and diabetes [treatment]», Ajaykumar Rao, MD, associate professor and head of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University Lewis Katz School of Medicine temple, said Health. “The monthly aspect of this is very attractive.”

For this clinical trial, the researchers registered 592 people, who were all obesity. 127 Participants also had type 2 diabetes.

During a year, the participants received a placebo or one of the three monthly doses of Maritide – 140 milligrams (MG), 280 mg or 420 mg.

A handful of participants treated for obesity alone received lower starting doses which have gradually increased over four or 12 weeks.

In the end, 72% of participants finished the trial and 28% abandoned. The results showed, on average:

• 16.2% Reduction in body weight for all participants with obesity but without diabetes
• 19.9% Reduction in body weight, excluding participants in obesity who interrupted the drug
• 12.3% Reduction in body weight for all participants with obesity and diabetes
• 17% Reduction in body weight, excluding participants in obesity and diabetes who have stopped taking the medication

The drug was also linked to improvements blood pressure, inflammation markers and lipid levels, And up to a 2.2 Percentage of improvement in the point of A1C levels.

In general, these phase 2 results are “very exciting to see,” said Rao.

For the moment, the maritide has not been tested against other GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide or shooting, said Rao. However, these first data suggest It can be comparable.

In clinical trials, The semaglutide led to 14.9% body weight reduction, while The shooting led to 20.9% Reduction in body weight.

The side effects of the maritid also seem to be tied For those associated with ozempques, mounjaro and other GLP-1 drugs.

Participants most often reported light to moderate gastrointestinal problems, in particular:

These symptoms generally occurred during the first doses and, in general, were less common in those who started a dose of lower maritid.

There is Two key elements Marititide structure which explains why it can be able to provide weight loss and such important metabolic advantages.

On the one hand, the marititide contains a GLP-1 receiver agonist, which imitates the GLP-1 hormone. This removes appetite, delays gastric emptying and improves insulin production.

It also contains a Antagonist of insulinotropic polypeptide receptors (GIP) dependent on glucose (GIP), This helps to regulate another hormone, incretinized, to control blood sugar, according to research.

Marititide is not the only drug as loss of weight which acts on GLP -1 and GIP –shooting The fact too.

But the maritide contains a monoclonal antibody which deactivates or “regulates down” the GIP receiver, said Meghan Garcia-Webb, MD, medical medical doctor, internal medicine and lifestyle based in Massachusetts. On the other hand, Active shooting The GIP receiver.

Research suggests that both The activation and deactivation of GIP receptors lead to weight loss, said Garcia-Webb Health.

But the different formulation of marititide “allows Active compound to stay in blood circulation at therapeutic levels for longer intervals, Supporting less frequent administration without sacrificing clinical efficiency, “said Sean Bourke, MD, doctor of obesity medicine and founder of Jumpstartmd, said Health.

Marititide has a Half-life of 21 days– It is three times longer than GLP-1 drugs once a week currently approved by the FDA. As such, it can potentially be taken monthly, or perhaps every three weeks, Addition of Wajahat Mehal, MD, DPHil, director of the metabolic health and weight loss program at Yale Medicine.

According to researchers, the less frequent marititide injection calendar could improve respect for drugs and improve weight maintenance and long -term metabolic health.

However, it is too early to say how maritid could work in the real world. There are still many questions.

On the one hand, future research should examine why so many people have not finished the trial, said Mehal Health. “There was a very high abandonment rate in clinical trials, which do not seem to be due to the reported side effects. SO [this] is a bit of a puzzle, “he said.

In addition, phase 2 test data has not been fully published. Several participants were registered in Part 2 of the study, who investigates the maritide Effects beyond 52 weeks. Researchers are also examining what the maintenance of longer -term will look like the drug with the medication.

After the release of the data in part 2, all the eyes will be on the Phase 3 test– This last stage of the tests will confirm the efficiency and safety of the maritime in a larger pool of participants over 72 weeks.

Phase 3 tests will also gradually increase the dosage of the maritime, which can help to alleviate some of the side effects that patients have reported. Additional trials will also examine the effect of the drug on people with various comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea.

After that, the Food and Drug Administration will examine all the evidence available. Rao said he expects the drug to be approved, But we don’t know when it could happen. If the evidence holds, Bourke said that we can see the maritide on the market Within two to three years.

“Nevertheless, the confirmation of these results through phase 3 trials is necessary before any conclusion can be drawn with regard to its ultimate role in clinical practice,” said Bourke.