A new weight loss medication known as ecnoglutide has emerged from clinical trials, demonstrating superior results compared to existing treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity. This novel glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist has outperformed another GLP-1 treatment, dulaglutide, in a phase 3 trial conducted by researchers from China.
The clinical trial involved 621 participants aged between 18 and 75 who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and were already using metformin, a first-line medication for the condition. Over the course of one year, participants were administered either ecnoglutide or dulaglutide on a weekly basis. While both medications effectively lowered blood sugar levels, those receiving ecnoglutide lost nearly twice as much weight on average compared to their dulaglutide counterparts.
Ecnoglutide’s design targets a specific pathway known as the cAMP pathway, which plays a crucial role in the benefits offered by GLP-1. The researchers noted that current medications, including dulaglutide, do not focus on this pathway as intensively. They stated, “These results suggest that ecnoglutide might offer a new treatment option for type 2 diabetes.”
The trial results indicate that ecnoglutide may not only be more effective in promoting weight loss but could also be easier and cheaper to produce than existing GLP-1 drugs. Side effects reported included nausea and diarrhoea among some participants, although these symptoms generally subsided over time.
In addition to weight loss, ecnoglutide also resulted in statistically significant reductions in waist circumference, hip circumference, and triglyceride levels, all of which are important cardiovascular risk factors. “Apart from glycaemic effects, both doses of ecnoglutide induced statistically significantly greater reductions in bodyweight than dulaglutide,” the researchers wrote in their published paper in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
Future studies are anticipated to compare ecnoglutide directly with other GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide and assess the drug’s performance in larger, more diverse populations. Investigations may also explore the efficacy of ecnoglutide in combination with other anti-diabetic treatments.
As the GLP-1 class of medications continues to evolve, they face scrutiny regarding potential long-term side effects, including issues related to the pancreas and vision. Nonetheless, the success of existing drugs like Wegovy propels pharmaceutical companies to refine and identify improved treatment options, positioning ecnoglutide as a potential advancement in diabetes therapy.
The research findings highlight the potential of ecnoglutide to address unmet needs in managing type 2 diabetes, suggesting that this new treatment could significantly impact future therapeutic strategies.
