Pfizer is developing a once-a-day weight-loss pill

You can find several drugs that claim to help you achieve a slimmer figure, but they usually do not meet expectations.

Fortunately, it seems Pfizer is close to creating a truly effective weight-loss pill.

The Telegraph said the US pharmaceutical firm will start testing different doses of the experimental drug later this year. 

READ: Vibrating pill tricks you into feeling full

Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s outgoing chief scientific officer and president of research and development, said it will “address the present and persistent medical needs of people living with obesity.”

More info on the weight-loss pill

The official Pfizer website calls its new weight-loss drug Danuglipron. The company designed it to be taken orally, but no health authorities have approved its use. 

It is a type of investigational medicine known as a GLP-1 receptor agonist. In other words, it is a drug that maintains healthy blood sugar levels by increasing insulin production.

Danuglipron also slows digestion and boosts the feeling of fullness after eating, which may help people lose weight.

Nowadays, Pfizer is conducting a randomized study to test the drug’s safety and effectiveness. 

At the time of writing, the weight loss pill yielded promising results: Mikael Dolsten, MD., PhD., Chief Scientific Officer & President, Pfizer Research and Development, said the following regarding Danuglipron: 

“Obesity is a key therapeutic area for Pfizer, and the company has a robust pipeline of three clinical and several pre-clinical candidates.”

“The most advanced of them, Danuglipron, has demonstrated good efficacy in a twice-daily formulation, and we believe a once-daily formulation has the potential to have a competitive profile in the oral GLP-1 space.” 

Until the weight-loss pill reaches pharmacy shelves, Ozempic will likely remain the popular choice.

The New York Times says it is diabetes medicine that the US Food and Drug Administration approved. 

Eventually, the FDA approved a drug called Wegovy, which has a higher dose of Ozempic’s active ingredient. Wegovy started getting public attention when Elon Musk credited his new physique to it.