Novo Nordisk on Friday announced early-stage trial results for its amycretin obesity drug for subcutaneous injection, saying people with obesity or overweight treated with the drug achieved a 22% weight loss after 36 weeks.

Novo Nordisk's U.S.-listed shares are surging 9% Friday morning after the Danish drugmaker reported early stage results for its amycretin weight-loss drug.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) released topline results from a phase 1b/2a trial with amycretin intended for once-weekly subcutaneous administration. The trial investigated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics,

A new weight loss drug from Novo Nordisk helped patients lose a large amount of weight, providing a boost for Novo in the competitive field.

Amycretin could give Novo a buzzy product in an newly competitive obesity market. It works similarly to existing GLP-1 products, by mimicking a hormone in the body that provides a satiated feeling and curbs hunger, but adds a different hormone in the pancreas.

Novo Nordisk shares were 9.5% higher after the pharmaceutical giant said an experimental weight-loss shot showed patients lost 22% of their bodyweight in a clinical trial.

Novo Nordisk has reported 22% weight loss in people who received weekly amycretin injections for 36 weeks, triggering an 11% jump in the Danish drugmaker’s share price in premarket trading.

Novo Nordisk is currently leading the market for incretin therapies with semaglutide-based products Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for obesity but is coming under competitive pressure from rival therapies from Eli Lilly based on dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist tirzepatide.