A highly anticipated obesity-drug candidate from biotech Amgen helped patients shed a significant amount of weight in a midstage study. Subjects taking Amgen's MariTide lost 20% of their body weight compared with those who received placebos, Amgen said Tuesday. Analysts had generally expected the drug to achieve weight reduction of 20% or more. The drug's most common side effects included nausea and vomiting. The news sent Amgen shares gyrating in premarket trading, falling as much as 10%, as investors parsed the company's announcement and awaited more details from a company conference call. Some analysts say the obesity-drug market, now dominated by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 drugs, could eventually reach more than $100 billion in annual sales worldwide, with Amgen taking as much as 10% to 15% of the pie.
