Zealand Pharma announces Boehringer Ingelheim survodutide Phase 2 trial shows 83% of adults treated achieved groundbreaking results in liver disease due to MASH, with significant improvements in fibrosis

Company announcement - No. 8 / 2024

Zealand Pharma announces Boehringer Ingelheim survodutide Phase 2 trial shows 83% of adults treated achieved groundbreaking results in liver disease due to MASH, with significant improvements in fibrosis

• Survodutide has potential to become best-in-class treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)*, after meeting its primary and key secondary endpoint following 48 weeks of treatment versus placebo in a Phase 2 trial
• Survodutide, a novel glucagon/GLP-1 receptor dual agonist, has demonstrated efficacy in people with obesity, and statistically significant results in MASH suggest the potential to lead to clinically meaningful benefits across the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic spectrum
• Full data from the Phase 2 trial will be presented in the coming months

Copenhagen, Denmark, February 26, 2024 – Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) today announced that Boehringer Ingelheim has reported that up to 83.0% of adults treated with survodutide (BI 456906) achieved a statistically significant improvement of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) versus placebo (18.2%) in a Phase 2 trial [response difference: 64.8% (CI 51.1% - 78.6%), p-value (p<0.0001)]. The trial met its primary endpoint with survodutide reaching a biopsy-proven improvement in MASH after 48 weeks, without worsening of fibrosis stages F1, F2 and F3 (mild to moderate or advanced scarring). Survodutide also met all secondary endpoints, including a statistically significant improvement in liver fibrosis. Full data will be presented in the coming months.

"We are very excited by the positive topline Phase 2 trial results for survodutide in MASH announced today by Boehringer Ingelheim and we look forward to the planned disclosure of the full data at a scientific congress in the first half of this year," said David Kendall, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Zealand Pharma. "Furthermore, we are delighted with the announcement that Boehringer intends to move forward with further development in MASH as quickly as possible, as they progress with study recruitment in the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial program for obesity."

The double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial studied three doses of survodutide at 2.4 mg, 4.8 mg, and 6.0 mg. Top-line results demonstrated an improvement in MASH, at all doses explored in the trial. Treatment with survodutide did not show unexpected safety or tolerability issues, including at the higher dose of 6.0 mg.

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About Survodutide (BI 456906)

Survodutide is a glucagon/GLP-1 receptor dual agonist with a novel mechanism of action that activates both the GLP-1 and glucagon receptors that are critical to controlling metabolic functions.

Survodutide was co-invented by Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma. Boehringer is funding all activities and is exclusively responsible for clinical development. Survodutide has received U.S. FDA Fast Track Designation for the treatment of MASH and fibrosis. Survodutide is also being evaluated in five Phase 3 trials as part of the SYNCHRONIZE clinical program for people living with overweight and obesity. Further information is available on clinicaltrials.gov.

*Boehringer Ingelheim’s Phase 2 trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov as ‘A Study to Test Safety and Efficacy of BI456906 in Adults With Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and Fibrosis (F1-F3)’ prior to a 2023 nomenclature recommendation made by a number of multinational liver societies including EASL, AASLD and ALEH to update non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and to update non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

About Zealand Pharma A/S 

Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) ("Zealand") is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of peptide-based medicines. More than 10 drug candidates invented by Zealand have advanced into clinical development, of which two have reached the market and three candidates are in late-stage development. The company has development partnerships with a number of pharma companies as well as commercial partnerships for its marketed products.

Zealand was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a presence in the U.S. For more information about Zealand’s business and activities, please visit



Forward-Looking Statement

This company announcement contains “forward-looking statements”, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 in the United States, as amended, even though no longer listed in the United States this is used as a definition to provide Zealand Pharma’s expectations or forecasts of future events regarding the research, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, the timing of the company’s pre-clinical and clinical trials and the reporting of data therefrom. These forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “will,” “would” and other words and terms of similar meaning. You should not place undue reliance on these statements, or the scientific data presented. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and inaccurate assumptions, which may cause actual results to differ materially from expectations set forth herein and may cause any or all of such forward-looking statements to be incorrect, and which include, but are not limited to, unexpected costs or delays in clinical trials and other development activities due to adverse safety events, patient recruitment or otherwise; unexpected concerns that may arise from additional data, analysis or results obtained during clinical trials; our ability to successfully market both new and existing products; changes in reimbursement rules and governmental laws and related interpretation thereof; government-mandated or market-driven price decreases for our products; introduction of competing products; production problems at third party manufacturers; dependency on third parties, for instance contract research or development organizations; unexpected growth in costs and expenses; our ability to effect the strategic reorganization of our businesses in the manner planned; failure to protect and enforce our data, intellectual property and other proprietary rights and uncertainties relating to intellectual property claims and challenges; regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may reject, fail to approve or may delay approval of our drug candidates or expansion of product labeling; failure to obtain regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions; exposure to product liability and other claims; interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; unexpected contract breaches or terminations; inflationary pressures on the global economy; and political uncertainty, including the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine and the uncertainty surrounding upcoming elections in the US. If any or all of such forward-looking statements prove to be incorrect, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied by such statements. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this company announcement and are based on information available to Zealand Pharma as of the date of this announcement. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Information concerning pharmaceuticals (including compounds under development) contained within this material is not intended as advertising or medical advice.

Contact:

Anna Krassowska, PhD

Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

Zealand Pharma

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