Roche reports weight loss and lower glucose in test of enicepatide

22. Sep 2026

(AWP Alliance News) - Roche Holding AG on Tuesday hailed positive test results for its glycemic control drug enicepatide.

The Basel, Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company's enicepatide, also known as CT-388, is a glucagon-like peptide-1/gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor agonist, which was tested in patients with type-two diabetes, or who are considered to be living with obesity.

Novo Nordisk AS has garnered attention for its GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, with competition from Eli Lilly & Co's Mounjaro, which targets both GLP-1 and GIP receptors.

According to Roche, the highest dose of the enicepatide - 24 milligrams - met its primary endpoints of reduced blood glucose and body weight in a phase-two clinical trial.

The drug achieved a mean reduction in hemoglobin A1C of about 2.7% after 48 weeks. This equates to "potential for best-in-disease glycemic control", Roche said.

Patients whose baseline glycemic control is deemed "poor", saw a 4.1% reduction in HbA1c.

The 24mg dose was also tied to mean weight loss of about 16% at 48 weeks, "without a weight loss plateau".

Enicepatide's safety and tolerability profile matched that of the incretin class, "with the most common adverse events being predominantly mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal effects", the company noted.

Discontinuation rates were low and no new safety signals were identified, Roche added.

Currently in progress are two phase-three studies of the drug in chronic weight management. In the first half of 2027, Roche plans to launch a phase-three glycemic-control programme and cardiovascular outcomes trials.

"We are highly encouraged by the efficacy demonstrated by enicepatide in this Phase II study, including the meaningful proportion of patients reaching normalised glucose levels within less than a year of treatment," said Levi Garraway, Roche's chief medical officer & head of global product development.

"Combined with sustained weight loss, enicepatide offers a potential best-in-disease profile capable of reducing and preventing complications as well as enhancing metabolic health for people living with type 2 diabetes."

Teresa Graham, chief executive of Roche Pharmaceuticals, commented: "These results reinforce our confidence in enicepatide and our ambition to rapidly advance its development for people living with obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease."

Roche shares closed 2.2% higher at CHF364.80 each on Monday in Zurich.

By Holly Munks, Alliance News reporter

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