Pfizer cuts two more ex-Metsera obesity programs in a quarterly pipeline clearout
Pfizer dropped two more obesity drug candidates from its pipeline, including an oral pill gained in its $10 billion Metsera buyout, narrowing its weight-loss lineup as the company leans on an injectable still in testing.[1]
Pfizer has discontinued two more obesity programs, further shrinking a pipeline it rebuilt through dealmaking over the past year. The company removed MET-224o, an oral, fully biased, ultra-long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist that came from its $10 billion acquisition of Metsera, and PF-07976016, a Phase 2 GIPR antagonist, according to Fierce Biotech.[1]
MET-224o was one of Metsera's two lead oral candidates and was still in Phase 1 testing. The other, MET-097o, had already vanished from Pfizer's pipeline in the first quarterly update issued after the Metsera deal closed.[1] With MET-224o gone, Pfizer says its only remaining oral GLP-1 drug is PF-08642534, known as YP05002, a small molecule it licensed from China's YaoPharma for $150 million upfront.[1] A Pfizer spokesperson told Fierce that the company remains "committed to exploring oral peptide and small molecule approaches for agonism of the GLP-1 receptor."[1]
The GIPR antagonist PF-07976016 was dropped after Phase 2a data tested on top of liraglutide background therapy. "After reviewing phase 2a data for our GIPR antagonist on background of liraglutide, Pfizer has decided to discontinue development of the molecule, though we continue to explore approaches targeting the GIP receptor," the spokesperson said.[1] That program had been the only obesity asset to survive an earlier pipeline clearout before Pfizer rebuilt its weight-loss lineup through the YaoPharma and Metsera deals.[1]
Pfizer also cut PF-07258669, an MC4R antagonist aimed at anorexia and cachexia-related weight loss that had already had its Phase 1 study cut short earlier this year for business reasons, and PF-07985631, a Phase 1 nephropathy candidate.[1] The cuts came alongside second-quarter earnings, in which Pfizer reported $15 billion in revenue, up 3% year over year and above the $14.4 billion analysts expected, but posted a net loss of $248 million due to $4.3 billion in non-cash impairments tied to a failed lung cancer trial.[1] Pfizer also announced plans for $2.5 billion in additional cost savings between 2027 and 2029, bringing total expected savings from its restructuring efforts to $9.7 billion through 2029.[1]
Pfizer's obesity strategy now centers on the injectable berobenatide, in Phase 3 testing. Chief Scientific Officer Chris Boshoff told investors that internal analysis "suggests berobenatide can deliver weight loss comparable to tirzepatide and potentially better than semaglutide," and pointed to extension data from the Phase 2b Vesper-1 trial as reason for confidence in "robust efficacy and favorable gastrointestinal tolerability with the convenience of a monthly therapy."[1]
Why it matters for patients
None of the discontinued programs were approved drugs, so patients currently taking a GLP-1 medicine are not directly affected. But the cuts matter for anyone hoping for more treatment choices down the road. Fewer oral GLP-1 candidates in testing across the industry could mean fewer future options and less competitive pressure on price. Pfizer's remaining oral bet, YP05002, and its injectable berobenatide are still years from potential approval, so it is not yet known whether either will reach patients or how they would compare to approved drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) on effectiveness, side effects, or cost.[1]
The broader obesity drug market remains highly competitive. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk currently lead sales, and other large companies including Roche and AstraZeneca have their own obesity candidates in mid- and late-stage testing, while the overall obesity therapeutics market was valued at $66 billion last year and is projected to grow substantially by 2027, according to industry estimates cited by BioSpace.[2]
What happens next
Pfizer's berobenatide remains in Phase 3 development, with the company citing Vesper-1 extension data to support its case, though a timeline for regulatory submission was not disclosed in the sources reviewed.[1] It is not yet known when or whether YP05002 will advance to later-stage trials.[1]
Sources
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