Vivani announces NPM-115 preclinical weight loss data vs. Ozempic /Wegovy

Vivani Medical announced positive preclinical data on weight loss effects for NPM-115, the Company’s miniature, twice-yearly, exenatide implant under development for the treatment of chronic weight management. The Company also disclosed that semaglutide is the active pharmaceutical ingredient in NPM-139, a miniature, subdermal GLP-1 implant in development for chronic weight management, with the added potential benefit of once-yearly administration. These developments are part of a strategic shift to prioritize the Company’s obesity implants based on emerging data regarding the potential for high-dose GLP-1 products to improve health outcomes for obese and overweight patients. “In response to tremendous medical need and unprecedented market demand, we are prioritizing the development of our GLP-1 implants for the treatment of obesity and chronic weight management. Since a high-dose GLP-1 implant for obesity would likely also be able to address our previous type 2 diabetes focus, the recently generated compelling weight loss data from NPM-115 naturally supports a shift in focus towards an indication with even broader potential. … “The potential for long-term GLP-1 implants becomes even more compelling when you consider that the improved adherence and persistence of Ozempic and Wegovy over prior obesity medications is still only 40% as recently reported in a large retrospective cohort study published in the research journal Obesity. Collectively, the potential for improvement in medication adherence, tolerability and real-world patient outcomes motivates us to rapidly advance the development of NPM-115, NPM-139 and the balance of our portfolio.”