Article By: Dr. Lior Neuman
Originally Published: Sept. 26, 2024
The Biomed company Epitomee’s share value spiked this month (188%) after its new weight loss pill was approved by the FDA. The pill, which inherited its company’s name will join the fierce competition between weight loss pills in the market.
In complete contrast to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, Epitomee’s capsule does not contain any active substance. It is a sophisticated pill that, after being swallowed and arriving at its intended destination, expands and changes its shape into a rigid triangle, in response to the acidic environment. In doing so, it mimics the presence of solid food, which causes the stomach to feel full and activate the brain’s sections of feeling satisfaction after eating. The pill lasts a few hours in the stomach and later moves to the intestines to break down within a few minutes.
Epitomee is far from the only company trying to challenge the weight loss drug market, which currently relies mainly on injections rather than orally ingested drugs. After all, it is no secret that the majority of people who need medical treatment would prefer to take pills or capsules over injections, mainly because it is more natural and comfortable. This fact is backed by studies and doctors who prefer to prescribe a pill over an injection.
Another advantage that may tip the scales in favor of taking a pill over an injection is related to the patient’s ability to control the side effects. Certain patients, who develop intolerable or dangerous side effects as a result of a drug can benefit from an immediate cessation of these effects as soon as they suspend the daily oral treatment. However, patients who take weekly injections are unable to cease the effects of the drug so quickly.
This data is useful both economically but also medically, since ingesting a pill on a daily basis promotes medical adherence and persistence with the treatment. Those who take oral medications for weight loss are expected to benefit more healthily in the long term, compared to those who are treated with injections.
In the Israeli market, there are currently only two drugs that are taken orally and are used to treat obesity. Both are quite old and usually result in weight loss, but this loss is not as dramatic as one would expect with the new injections. The first drug is Razin, a capsule that is taken once a day, contains the active substance and appetite suppressant phentermine, and contributes to a weight loss of about 7% in about six months with potential side effects of dry mouth and insomnia. A more effective drug with phentermine-topiramate is quite popular in the United States but is not available in Israel.
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Epitomee Medical Co-founder and Chairman of the Board Shimon Eckhouse is a Technion alumnus.