Hofseth BioCare study shows ProGo salmon peptides improved GLP-1 markers and lean muscle mass

Eli Lilly and Company presented new efficacy data from studies of its marketed and investigational metabolic medicines at the annual European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference. In the phase III ACHIEVE-4 study, Foundayo (orforglipron), a once-daily oral GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for chronic weight management, demonstrated a non-inferior risk of major adverse cardiovascular events versus titrated insulin glargine, with MACE-4 risk 16% lower, MACE-3 risk 23% lower, cardiovascular death risk 53% lower and all-cause death risk 57% lower; at 52 weeks A1C declined 1.6% versus 1% and body weight fell 8.8% versus a 1.7% increase, while 10.6% discontinued due to adverse events. Lilly also reported positive 48-week results from a phase IIb study of EloraTZP, an investigational combination of eloralintide and Zepbound, in adults with obesity or overweight and type II diabetes, where the highest-dose combination of 9 mg eloralintide plus 15 mg Zepbound reduced body weight by 23.3% (54.1 pounds) versus 14.8% (34.4 pounds) for Zepbound 15 mg alone, and A1C declined 2.9% versus 2.4%. Separately, the phase IIIb ADtouch study of Ebglyss (lebrikizumab-lbkz) met its primary and secondary endpoints, with 53% of patients on monotherapy achieving clear or almost clear hands and feet at week 16 versus 27% with placebo, and Lilly has submitted the data to the FDA seeking a potential U.S. label expansion to include localized atopic dermatitis with moderate-to-severe hand and foot involvement. Lilly has also submitted a regulatory filing to the FDA seeking approval of Foundayo for the treatment of type II diabetes, with the application currently under review, intensifying its oral GLP-1 competition with Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced new Phase 2 COURAGE trial results showing that trevogrumab prevented 70% of the muscle loss associated with semaglutide treatment in people living with obesity. In a predefined MRI substudy, lower-dose trevogrumab preserved almost 70% of the thigh muscle that would otherwise have been lost with semaglutide alone, with 71.8% preservation at 52 weeks for the 25 mg dose and 68.9% for the 75 mg dose relative to placebo plus semaglutide. The lower-dose portion of the trial, which evaluated trevogrumab at 25 mg or 75 mg in combination with semaglutide 2.4 mg over 52 weeks, replicated the higher-dose findings, preserving lean mass at both 26 and 52 weeks, the primary endpoint, though it did not meaningfully enhance weight loss achieved with semaglutide alone. A pre-specified subgroup analysis found that patients meeting the low lean mass definition for sarcopenia had greater loss of lean mass with semaglutide and more preservation with trevogrumab. The results were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting and are in press with The Lancet, and Regeneron is planning to initiate a Phase 2 trial of trevogrumab in combination with GLP-1 receptor agonist-based therapies in older adults with obesity and decreased muscle mass and/or strength.

Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy, or semaglutide, produced real-world weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity who switched from injectable GLP-1 therapies, according to data from the OCTANE study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes on Sept. 30, 2026. The retrospective analysis, which drew on de-identified data from the Ro telehealth platform, covered 194 participants who moved from injectable Wegovy or Eli Lilly's Zepbound, or tirzepatide, to once-daily oral Wegovy between Jan. 5 and Feb. 7, 2026, and stayed on the pill for three months with weight data available at baseline and follow-up. Participants lost an average of four kilograms, or 8.8 pounds, over three months, equal to 4.1% of baseline body weight, while 40.7% achieved at least 5% weight loss and the share with a BMI of at least 30 kg/m2 fell 21.6 percentage points, from 87.1% at baseline to 65.5% at three months. Among participants with available information, 82.4% reported at least one treatment improvement, most often better-fitting clothes and healthier eating. Novo cautioned that the observational design cannot establish causality and cited limitations including variable data collection, self-reported measures, selection bias from requiring treatment persistence and limited generalizability. The Wegovy pill has launched in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Germany, with additional select markets planned in coming quarters. Separately at the same conference, Novo presented 52-week functional MRI data showing CagriSema, its investigational once-weekly combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide, altered brain responses to high-calorie food cues and was linked to a 22.4% body-weight reduction versus placebo, along with a 14.3% weight reduction at week 40 in a diabetes MRI sub-study of the phase IIIa REIMAGINE 1 trial and a 14.2% weight reduction at week 68 in a post hoc analysis of phase III REIMAGINE 2. Novo submitted a new drug application to the FDA for CagriSema in weight management in December 2025, with a decision expected in the fourth quarter, and in 2026 began a phase III study of high-dose CagriSema 2.4 mg/7.2 mg in adults with obesity.

Novo Nordisk reported that Wegovy, its injectable semaglutide, brought liver fat down to normal levels in nearly nine out of ten adults with obesity and excess liver fat, according to a post hoc analysis of a 55-participant sub-population of the STEP UP trial presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting 2026 in Milan. Among the 26 participants who entered with liver fat above 5%, 88.5%, or 23 people, reached the below-5% threshold by week 72, while mean liver fat across the group fell from 8.8% at baseline to 3.1% at week 72 as measured by magnetic resonance imaging. The analysis pooled 1,919 adults from the STEP UP and STEP UP T2D trials, of whom 1,312 received semaglutide 7.2 mg, 304 received semaglutide 2.4 mg and 303 received placebo, and more than 94% were classified as high risk for fatty liver by the Fatty Liver Index at baseline. Eric Lawitz of the Texas Liver Institute and University of Texas Health San Antonio said the findings suggest semaglutide may help address liver disease early, noting that as many as three in four people with obesity may have excess liver fat. Novo chief medical officer Filip Knop said the results help show the quality of weight loss seen with semaglutide, adding that the dedicated ESSENCE MASH trial demonstrated reversal of liver damage in people with MASH. Semaglutide 2.4 mg is approved for the treatment of MASH under the Wegovy brand in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, China and several other markets, while semaglutide 7.2 mg is not being investigated for MASH.