New diabetes drug beats Ozempic in early trial results
A new experimental diabetes treatment being developed by Novo Nordisk and United Laboratories International Holdings has shown promising results in a clinical trial involving Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The companies said their drug candidate UBT251 significantly lowered blood sugar levels and body weight in a Phase 2 study conducted in China.
After 24 weeks of treatment, patients receiving the drug recorded an average reduction in long-term blood sugar levels of up to 2.16%. By comparison, patients treated with semaglutide saw a reduction of 1.77%, while those given a placebo experienced a drop of 0.66%.
UBT251 also led to notable weight loss. Participants taking the drug lost up to 9.8% of their body weight on average. The semaglutide group lost about 4.8%, while the placebo group lost 1.4%.
The trial included 211 Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes who were managing the condition through lifestyle changes or with the drug metformin. Patients received weekly injections of UBT251 at different doses, semaglutide, or a placebo for 24 weeks.
Researchers also reported improvements in waist size, blood pressure and blood fat levels among patients taking the new treatment. The safety profile of the drug appeared similar to what has been seen with other medicines in the same class.
Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president and head of research and development at Novo Nordisk, said the company is encouraged by the results and plans to launch a global Phase 2 trial in people with type 2 diabetes later in 2026.
Another global study involving around 330 people with overweight or obesity is already underway and is expected to report results in 2027.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that over 260,000 Kazakhstanis underwent advanced diabetes diagnostics in 2025.
