Shares of Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) fell 1.6% in premarket trading Tuesday after the drugmaker released kidney disease trial results that didn't meet investor expectations, Morgan Stanley analysts point out.
A large late-phase trial revealed that Novo Nordisk’s treatment, Ozempic, can reduce the risk of major cardiac arrest and death by 24%, missing the expected benefit of at least 30%, analysts said in a note.
Meanwhile, Jefferies analysts said the detailed data from the trial is “encouraging,” though “perhaps shy of bullish expectations.”
It's reported that approximately 40% of individuals with type 2 diabetes suffer from chronic kidney disease, affecting around 700 million patients worldwide.
Still, the findings from the trial called FLOW serve as further evidence that GLP-1 class medications offer therapeutic advantages for ailments other than their original targets of type 2 diabetes and weight management.
The study, which commenced in 2019, included about 3,500 participants with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease ranging from moderate to severe. These patients received a weekly dose of 1 milligram (mg) of semaglutide alongside their regular treatment.