Just eight months after it introduced its oral version of semaglutide for obesity, also known as the Wegovy pill, Novo Nordisk is testing the GLP-1 in smaller doses in the late-stage OASIS 5 study.
The company has not made public the strength of the doses being tested in the placebo-controlled trial, which is underway in the United States and Europe. A starter dose of the Wegovy pill comes in at 1.5 mg, with the titration schedule ramping up at increments of 4 mg, 9 mg and then a maximum dose of 25 mg.
"OASIS 5 is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lower maintenance doses of the Wegovy pill in adults with overweight or obesity," Novo said in an email to Fierce. "While the currently approved maintenance dose is 25 mg, we are also studying the effects of lower maintenance doses by generating new evidence to fully reflect the patients’ needs in real-world obesity management."
The study, which began last week, will include 450 patients who will be on treatment for 60 weeks. The trial is open to adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more or a BMI of 27 or more for those with a weight-related health issue such as hypertension, sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease. The study excludes diabetes patients and those who have recently lost weight or are already being treated with a GLP-1.
