# Danuglipron: The Oral GLP-1 That Worked, and That 6 in 10 Did Not Finish

By Ruth Calder, Enforcement Editor (https://glpwatchdog.org/authors/ruth-calder) | Published: 2026-08-21 | Updated: 2026-11-07

Canonical page: https://glpwatchdog.org/research/danuglipron-the-pill-most-people-stopped

> Danuglipron's phase 2b study in 628 adults with obesity produced up to 12.9% weight loss against placebo. Only 39.3% of participants completed treatment, with about 38% stopping for adverse events.

## Key points

- Phase 2b, 628 randomized, twice-daily oral dosing for 26 or 32 weeks in adults with obesity and no diabetes.
- Weight change against placebo ranged from -5.0% to -12.9%.
- Only 39.3% completed treatment; about 38% discontinued for adverse events and 22% for other reasons.
- Discontinuation for adverse events was higher than anticipated in all arms, including placebo, so some attrition belongs to the trial rather than the drug.

Danuglipron is an oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, and its phase 2b trial in adults with obesity worked: every dose group lost significantly more weight than placebo, by up to **12.9 percentage points** of bodyweight.[1] It also recorded something that matters more than the efficacy figure. Of 626 people who received study treatment, **39.3% completed it**. About 38% stopped because of adverse events. A drug that produces that much weight loss and that most people do not finish is a lesson about the difference between working and being usable.

## What the trial did

This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b dose-ranging study in adults aged 18 to 75 with obesity and without diabetes. Participants took danuglipron or placebo twice daily for 26 or 32 weeks, with the drug escalated to doses between 40 and 200 mg twice daily over intervals of one, two or four weeks. 628 were randomized; 626 received treatment, 536 of them on danuglipron.[1]

*Phase 2b results in adults with obesity, 26 or 32 weeks.[1]*

|   | Result |
| --- | --- |
| Weight change vs placebo | −5.0% (90% CI −6.8, −3.2) to **−12.9%** (90% CI −16.1, −9.5) |
| **Completed treatment** | **39.3%** |
| Discontinued for adverse events | ~38% |
| Discontinued for other reasons | ~22% |
| Most frequent adverse events | Nausea and vomiting, rising with dose |

The twice-daily schedule matters too. No approved GLP-1 for weight is taken more than once a day, and a twice-daily tablet asks more of a person before any side effect arrives. The adverse events were mostly reported as mild, and they still emptied the trial.

> **Discontinuations for adverse events ran high in every arm, placebo included.** The paper says those rates were higher than anticipated across all treatment groups. That means some of the attrition belongs to the trial's design and burden rather than to the drug. It also means the drug's real-world tolerability cannot be read straight off this number.

## Why a completion rate is a result, not a footnote

The headline percentages are on-treatment estimates: weights recorded after a participant stopped the drug were set aside, and the model projects what staying on it would have done.[1] With six in ten not finishing, that describes people who tolerated the drug well enough to keep taking it. None of this is hidden. The completion rate is stated in the abstract, and routinely dropped from the summary that reaches a reader. It is the first figure to check on any oral GLP-1 still in trials; for [elecoglipron, in phase 2](https://glpwatchdog.org/research/elecoglipron-oral-glp1-pipeline), 75% finished their assigned treatment.

> Six in ten participants did not finish treatment, and the abstract says so.

The same discipline applies to the drugs you can buy. Our page on [orforglipron, the other oral small molecule](https://glpwatchdog.org/research/foundayo-orforglipron-oral-glp1) covers the one that reached approval, and the [price tracker](https://glpwatchdog.org/price-tracker) carries a dated figure for every seller of the injectables.

## What happened to it

Pfizer stopped developing danuglipron in April 2025. Its first-quarter results filing with the SEC lists the program as discontinued and gives this reason:[2]

> “This decision followed a review of the totality of information, including all clinical data generated to date for danuglipron and recent input from regulators.”
>
> — Pfizer Inc., Form 8-K, Exhibit 99, April 29, 2025

That sentence does not name tolerability, and we will not name it for Pfizer. What the record supports is narrower: a phase 2b trial in which most participants did not finish, followed by a development program that ended. The completion rate stands on its own either way.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much weight did danuglipron produce?

In its phase 2b study, all dose groups lost significantly more weight than placebo, with placebo-adjusted reductions ranging from 5.0% to 12.9% of bodyweight over 26 or 32 weeks.

### Why did so many people stop taking it?

Of 626 people who received treatment, only 39.3% completed it. About 38% discontinued because of adverse events and about 22% for other reasons. The most frequent adverse events were nausea and vomiting, and gastrointestinal events were more common at higher doses. The paper notes discontinuation for adverse events was higher than anticipated across all groups including placebo.

### Is danuglipron available?

No. It was never approved, and Pfizer discontinued its development in April 2025, citing a review of all clinical data to date and recent input from regulators. Anything sold under this name is not a medicine.

### How is it different from orforglipron?

Both are oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonists rather than peptide injections, but they are different compounds with separate trial programs. Danuglipron was given twice daily in this study.

## References

1. Buckeridge C, Cobain S, Bays HE, et al. Efficacy and safety of danuglipron (PF-06882961) in adults with obesity: A randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging phase 2b study. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism. 2025. PMID: 40539310. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40539310/
2. Pfizer Inc. Pfizer Reports Solid First-Quarter 2025 Results And Reaffirms 2025 Guidance (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99) — pipeline update: danuglipron discontinued April 2025. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR). 2025. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/78003/000007800325000111/pfe-03302025xex99.htm

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Cite as: GLP Watchdog, Ruth Calder, "Danuglipron: The Oral GLP-1 That Worked, and That 6 in 10 Did Not Finish", published 2026-08-21, updated 2026-11-07. https://glpwatchdog.org/research/danuglipron-the-pill-most-people-stopped

Canonical HTML page: https://glpwatchdog.org/research/danuglipron-the-pill-most-people-stopped

Medical disclaimer: Nothing here is medical advice. We report on this subject; we do not treat anyone. Whether to begin a medication, supplement, or treatment, whether to adjust it, and whether to stop are questions for a clinician licensed to answer them, who knows your history.