Summary
A pill can reduce weight yet still be difficult to tolerate.
What researchers tested
This Pfizer-funded trial, with company employees involved in its conduct and analysis, randomized 628 adults with obesity and no diabetes. Participants received twice-daily danuglipron or placebo for 26 or 32 weeks.
626 treated participants across danuglipron and placebo groups
Completed treatment
246 of 626 treated participants
Digestive events
77% danuglipron versus 30% placebo
Original visual based on the study.
| Group or measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Completed treatment | 246 of 626 treated participants |
| Digestive events | 77% danuglipron versus 30% placebo |
What changed
Weight results favored danuglipron, but only 39% of all treated participants, including those on placebo, completed treatment. Adverse effects frequently led people to stop.
Weight estimates excluded measurements after stopping, limiting their meaning with so many discontinuations. Nineteen participants had serious adverse events; one treatment-related case involved nausea and vomiting. No deaths occurred.
What happened afterward
Pfizer ended development in April 2025 after reviewing the program, including a potential liver-injury case in a separate, later study. That case resolved after treatment stopped, according to Pfizer.
Sources
Buckeridge and colleagues, Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2025. Read Pfizer’s development update.