When a medicine is tested in a phase two trial, the primary aim is to determine whether the treatment works and whether it is reasonably safe.
The results may point in a certain direction, but they cannot be used as definitive proof.
Many medicines perform differently when they are later tested in larger and more diverse populations.
For this reason, interim results must be interpreted with caution, even when the figures appear convincing.
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A new drug in the fight against obesity
According to the pharmaceutical company Roche, it has developed the drug CT 388 as a once-weekly injection for obesity.
The treatment works by influencing hormones that regulate appetite and blood sugar levels.
In the company’s phase two trial, participants receiving the highest dose achieved an average weight loss of 22.5 percent over 48 weeks.
When participants who discontinued treatment early are also included, the average weight loss was 18.3 percent, Roche states.
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The treatment primarily caused gastrointestinal side effects, and fewer than six percent of participants discontinued the trial because of these effects.
What is still missing
The figures place CT 388 among the most effective weight-loss injections, but it is not yet known how the treatment performs over the long term.
Roche expects that longer treatment may lead to further weight loss, but this has not yet been documented.
At the same time, The Sun reports that figures from the National Pharmacy Association show that interest in weight-loss medication continues to rise in 2026.
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Before CT 388 can secure a permanent place in the treatment of obesity, upcoming phase three trials must show whether the results hold up in larger and more real-world settings.
Sources: The Sun.
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