How a Liver Enzyme Just OBLITERATED Pfizer’s $100 Billion Weight Loss Bet…

Well, Pfizer just clinched another major L in the weight loss space. The company pulled the plug on its daily weight-loss pill, danuglipron, after a trial patient’s liver enzymes decided to throw a party nobody asked for. While the company insists the patient had no symptoms and “recovered rapidly” once they stopped popping the pill, the damage was done… literally and figuratively.

(Source: Giphy) 

Now for those just waking up, this is the second time Pfizer’s GLP-1 dreams have been wrecked by liver drama. The first was in 2023 when they ditched a twice-daily version of danuglipron. Before that, it was lotiglipron, another oral GLP-1 that got tossed after similar enzyme shenanigans. So if you’re keeping score at home, that’s Pfizer 0, Liver Function 3. 

Oh, and to be clear, it’s not like Pfizer spontaneously decided to claim full liability on this either. The company said it made the call after “a review of the totality of information” and some pointed feedback from regulators—which really just means the FDA forced them to. But, still, Danuglipron was Pfizer’s ticket into the $100 billion GLP-1 gold rush currently being dominated by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. These guys are printing money off weight-loss injections like Wegovy and Zepbound while Pfizer’s stuck simping with its own pipeline. 

(Source: CNBC) 

But, but, but… apparently Pfizer swears they aren’t done taking shots. The company still has two oral obesity candidates in the works: one that blocks a different gut hormone (GIPR) and another once-daily GLP-1 pill that just wrapped Phase 1. The catch? That second one might also be based on the same molecular “scaffold” as danuglipron—the same scaffold that just got nuked by a trial dropout with a pissed-off liver. So yeah, don’t hold your breath. 

Meanwhile, rivals like Lilly are dunking on dem hoes with their own oral GLP-1 that’s shown elevated liver enzymes too, but not “drug-induced liver injury” levels. In other words, their pill’s not perfect, but it hasn’t triggered the nuclear option yet. Naturally, the news sent Pfizer spiraling -0.96% as of yesterday with the stock ripping +2.17% today. Shocking, I know… but that’s the world we are living in right now. 

(Source: Giphy) 

Especially since what makes this whole thing extra awkward is that Pfizer desperately needs a win. The Covid money printer is out of toner, and Wall Street’s been squinting at the company’s pipeline like, “...this it?” Obesity was supposed to be a cornerstone of the comeback story. Instead, it’s turned Pfizer into a Kim Kardashian comeback story (read: parks and rec for all you cool kids reading this). 

So what’s next for the Big Pharma giant? Well, Pfizer says it’s shifting focus to other candidates and leaning on its cancer drug pipeline to drive growth. Which is probably smart, because if one more liver test goes sideways, they’re going to need a whole new PR department. But in the end, while Pfizer’s out here talking about “totality of information”, the writing on the wall is clear: they missed. Hard. Now obviously, do what you will with this information, but keep your eyes on Pfizer going forward—and place your bets accordingly. Until next time, friends… 

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Stocks.News holds positions in Pfizer as mentioned in the article.