Novo Nordisk partner reports up to 19.7% weight loss with UBT251 in China trial

Novo Nordisk and its Chinese partner The United Laboratories said on Feb. 24, 2026 that an experimental once-weekly injection called UBT251 produced mean weight loss of up to 19.7% after 24 weeks in a phase 2 trial in China ^[1]. UBT251 is a "triple agonist," meaning it targets the receptors for GLP-1, GIP and glucagon ^[1].

What the trial found

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 205 Chinese adults with obesity (BMI of 28.0 or higher) or overweight (BMI of 24.0 to under 28.0) plus at least one weight-related health condition ^[1]. Their average starting weight was 92.2 kg and average BMI was 33.1 ^[1]. Participants received weekly under-the-skin injections of UBT251 at 2 mg, 4 mg or 6 mg, or a placebo, for 24 weeks ^[1].

The largest average weight loss at any dose was 19.7%, which the companies listed as 17.5 kg, compared with 2.0% (1.6 kg) in the placebo group ^[1]. The companies called the result statistically significant ^[1]. The percentage and kilogram figures do not line up exactly, since 19.7% of the 92.2 kg average starting weight works out to about 18.2 kg, and the announcement does not explain the difference. The figures reflect the trial's efficacy estimand, which counts patients regardless of whether their dose was modified ^[1].

Every UBT251 dose group also showed statistically significant improvements over placebo on waist circumference, blood glucose, blood pressure and lipids, the companies said ^[1]. The most common side effects were gastrointestinal, and most were mild to moderate and eased over time, consistent with incretin-based therapies ^[1].

"The success of the phase 2 clinical trial of UBT251 in China represents another significant milestone in TUL's innovation-driven development," said Tsoi Hoi Shan, chairman of The United Laboratories ^[1]. Martin Holst Lange, Novo Nordisk's chief scientific officer and head of research and development, said the company looks forward to reporting data from a global UBT251 trial next year ^[1].

Where the drug comes from

UBT251 was not invented at Novo Nordisk. United Biotechnology, a subsidiary of The United Laboratories, licensed it to Novo Nordisk in March 2025 under an exclusive agreement ^[1]. United Biotechnology holds development rights in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, while Novo Nordisk holds rights for the rest of the world ^[1]. The medicine has not been approved by any regulator, and no regulatory filing has been announced ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

For people weighing treatment options now, UBT251 is not one of them. The results come from a mid-stage trial in a single country, and nothing in the announcement compares UBT251 head-to-head with any approved obesity medicine, so how it stacks up against drugs already on the market has not been established ^[1].

Whether the 19.7% figure would repeat in a larger trial, over a longer treatment period, or in patients outside China has not been reported ^[1]. The data cover 24 weeks of treatment, and longer-term results have not been released ^[1]. The side-effect profile described so far is in the same family — mostly gastrointestinal, generally mild to moderate, fading over time — as other incretin-based medicines ^[1].

What happens next

• Detailed results from the Chinese phase 2 trial will be presented at a medical congress later this year ^[1].
• United Biotechnology plans to start a phase 3 trial in Chinese patients with overweight or obesity ^[1].
• Novo Nordisk has begun a global phase 1b/2a trial testing different doses in about 330 people with overweight or obesity for up to 28 weeks, with topline data expected in 2027 ^[1].
• A phase 2 trial in people with type 2 diabetes is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 ^[1].
• No timeline for a US regulatory filing or approval has been disclosed ^[1].