Novo Nordisk says weight loss drug effective in under-12s, FT reports

Novo Nordisk’s Liraglutide weight loss drug is safe and effective in children as young as six, according to a company-funded study, with children ages 6 to 12 using the injectable pens for just over a year seeing a 7.4% reduction in their body-mass index compared with those on a placebo, The Financial Times’ Ian Johnston reports. Martin Holst Lange, the company’s head of development, says the drugmaker will seek regulatory approval from the FDA and from the European Medicines Agency to expand the use of liraglutide to under-12s. “One in five children have obesity and one of the biggest predictors for adult obesity is childhood obesity so having this potential intervention for that age group is important,” Lange told the Financial Times.