Biotech company Zealand Pharma reported early clinical trial results for their experimental drug ZP2929, a dual agonist targeting both the GLP-1 and GLP-2 receptors for potential weight loss and metabolic benefits.
In a Phase 1b study testing four different low dose levels of ZP2929 in patients with obesity, the drug demonstrated modest reductions in body weight ranging from just 1.4% to 4.8% over 12 weeks of treatment.
These weight loss percentages fall well below the impressive 15-20%+ reductions seen with higher doses of current GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide (Wegovy).
Zealand had hoped the addition of GLP-2 receptor agonism could boost weight loss efficacy. However, these initial low dose results suggest only a marginal benefit over GLP-1 alone at suboptimal dosing.
Higher doses of ZP2929 may potentially drive greater weight loss, but would also carry increased risk of gastrointestinal side effects associated with GLP-2 activity.
Despite the lackluster early data, Zealand plans to advance ZP2929 to higher dose testing based on the drug’s ability to reduce body weight and improve certain metabolic markers like lipid levels.
Analysts remain skeptical whether ZP2929’s dual agonist mechanism can compete against the established high-efficacy GLP-1 weight loss medications already on the market.
