Amgen's second quarter puts nine MariTide Phase 3 trials in the field

Amgen reported second-quarter 2026 results on August 4, showing total revenue up 10 percent to $10.1 billion and GAAP earnings per share rising 65 percent, from $2.65 to $4.37, compared with the same period a year earlier ^[1]. Non-GAAP earnings per share rose a more modest 4 percent, to $6.29 ^[1]. Chairman and CEO Robert Bradway said the company is "advanc[ing] the next wave of pipeline molecules through Phase 3" ^[1], a reference that, according to sector trackers, points squarely at MariTide, Amgen's experimental weight-loss drug.

During the quarter, Amgen confirmed it had discontinued an early-stage obesity candidate, identified in industry coverage as AMG 513, which had been in Phase 1 testing ^[2]. Analysts tracking the obesity market say that move leaves MariTide as Amgen's only obesity asset ^[2]. Amgen's broader Phase 3 plan for MariTide spans obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea ^[2], reflecting a strategy of testing the drug across multiple diseases tied to excess weight rather than obesity alone.

MariTide is a monthly-dosed GLP-1/GIP drug, which would make it less frequent than the weekly injections used for semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) ^[2]. In earlier testing, MariTide produced weight loss of up to roughly 20 percent over 52 weeks under one statistical method (called an efficacy estimand), while a treatment-policy analysis, which counts people who stopped the drug early, showed 12.3 to 16.2 percent ^[2]. A Phase 3 trial called MARITIME is listed with a 72-week duration ^[2]. Amgen's market capitalization stood at roughly $191.7 billion as of the reporting period ^[2].

The sources reviewed for this article do not spell out the exact number of MariTide trials now running, the specific timing of additional diabetes studies, or the status of a liver-fat study — details that would need to come from Amgen's full second-quarter pipeline disclosures, which were not fully available in the material reviewed. Likewise, specific primary completion dates for individual MariTide trials are not confirmed in these sources and should be treated as not yet verified.

Why it matters for patients

For people currently using or considering semaglutide or tirzepatide, MariTide's progress signals that a monthly injectable option, rather than weekly, may eventually enter the obesity drug market, which could change how often patients need appointments or refills if the drug is approved. But Amgen's decision to end its earlier-stage obesity candidate also means the company now has a single obesity drug in its pipeline, which analysts note raises the stakes on MariTide's later-stage results ^[2]. Amgen sits behind Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in the obesity market, according to sector analysts, so patients should not expect MariTide to reach pharmacies soon ^[2]. The weight-loss and safety numbers reported so far come from earlier-phase studies, not the ongoing Phase 3 trials, so how MariTide performs in larger, longer trials designed to prove effectiveness for FDA approval is not yet known.

What happens next

Amgen's Phase 3 MariTide program continues across the disease areas Amgen has disclosed — obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea ^[2]. Results from these larger trials, which will determine whether MariTide can be approved and how it compares with tirzepatide and semaglutide on weight loss and side effects, have not yet been reported in the sources reviewed. Patients interested in tracking MariTide's progress should watch for Amgen's future quarterly updates and any trial results the company discloses.