Just in time for Thanksgiving, Novo Nordisk
The announcement was light on data, but provided evidence that liraglutide was more effective at removing the pounds than orlistat, which is marketed by Roche under the name Xenical and over the counter by GlaxoSmithKline
As was the case with Amylin Pharmaceuticals'
Fortunately, Novo isn't counting on the weight-loss data to get liraglutide on the market. It's already completed four of the five planned phase 3 trials to get the drug approved for treating patients with type 2 diabetes. If data from the final trial, which will compare liraglutide to sanofi-aventis'
Once on the market, it would compete against Amylin's BYETTA. Liraglutide should have a competitive advantage, since it's injected once a day versus BYETTA's twice-daily regimen. But Amylin's extended-release version of BYETTA should be on its heels a year later. It looks like the diabetes market is about to get tighter than jeans on a supermodel.
Further weighty Foolishness: