Amgen is aiming to distinguish its investigational obesity therapy, MariTide, by offering a less frequent dosing schedule compared to other treatments in the field. The company believes this approach could provide patients with a more convenient option without compromising the effectiveness of weight loss.
“MariTide stands alone as the only therapy in late-stage development to offer the paradigm-changing prospect of strong efficacy and favorable tolerability at monthly, every other month or even every quarter dosing,” said Amgen CEO Robert Bradway during the company’s full year 2025 earnings call.
James Bradner, Executive Vice President of R&D at Amgen, addressed concerns that reducing dosing frequency might reduce efficacy. “This idea of less frequent dosing being an absolute tradeoff for efficacy—we’re not certain we’ll see that,” Bradner said. He added that a “large majority” of patients were able to maintain their weight on low doses and quarterly dosing.
MariTide is designed as a bispecific antibody-peptide construct targeting both the GLP-1 receptor (activation) and GIP receptor (inhibition). According to Amgen, this dual mechanism not only promotes weight loss during treatment but also helps prevent weight regain after stopping the medication.
Phase II trial results released in November 2024 showed MariTide led to an average weight loss of up to 20% at 52 weeks among participants who were overweight or had obesity. While Amgen described these outcomes as robust, some analysts found them less impressive.
Despite mixed reactions from analysts, Truist Securities noted after Tuesday’s investor call that “MariTide remains the focal point” for Amgen. The firm highlighted MariTide’s potential for maintenance dosing on a bi-monthly or quarterly basis as an important differentiator.
Amgen did not share new data or specify when further results would be available but confirmed it has started six global Phase III studies for MariTide and plans additional trials this year.
In terms of financial performance, Amgen reported a 10% increase in total revenues last year, reaching $36.8 billion. This growth was mainly attributed to products such as Prolia (osteoporosis), which generated over $4.4 billion, and Repatha (cholesterol), which earned more than $3 billion. Fourteen products achieved blockbuster status in 2025, including Tepezza for thyroid eye disease and Blincyto for leukemia. For 2026, Amgen projects revenues between $37 billion and $38.4 billion.
