Most of the drug industry is racing to build GLP-1 agonists for weight loss and diabetes. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals bet on the opposite — a GLP-1 blocker — and the wager just paid off.
The company’s drug avexitide, a GLP-1 receptor antagonist, hit its primary goal in a late-stage trial for post-bariatric hypoglycemia — dangerously low blood sugar that can develop after weight-loss surgery. Avexitide delivered a 55% reduction in serious-to-severe hypoglycemic events versus placebo. Side effects were mostly mild to moderate, commonly diarrhea and injection-site reactions. Shares rose about 14% after hours.
An underserved condition
Post-bariatric hypoglycemia has no FDA-approved treatment, even as bariatric surgery becomes more common. Avexitide already holds breakthrough therapy designation, and Amylyx plans to file for FDA approval before the end of 2026. Co-CEO Joshua Cohen called the results a “home run…far above most expectations”; co-CEO Justin Klee noted that “preventing even a single event matters.”
Why it matters
The program is also a notable turnaround story: Amylyx acquired avexitide for just $35 million out of Eiger BioPharmaceuticals’ 2024 bankruptcy. Analysts now estimate peak sales of $1.3–$1.5 billion. It also illustrates how the GLP-1 boom is spawning adjacent opportunities — including managing the metabolic side effects of weight-loss interventions.