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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A late-stage trial of avexitide, an experimental once-daily injection by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, cut dangerous low blood sugar episodes by 55% in patients who had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. There are currently no approved treatments for post-bariatric hypoglycemia, a condition that can cause seizures and loss of consciousness. Amylyx plans to file for U.S. marketing approval by end of 2026, targeting a 2027 commercial launch.
Post-bariatric hypoglycemia — a condition where blood sugar drops dangerously low after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery — has long been managed only through dietary changes and carbohydrate-blocking medications, with no approved drug therapies. That could soon change. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals announced that its experimental drug, avexitide, reduced hypoglycemic episodes by 55% compared to placebo in a 78-patient late-stage trial over 16 weeks, meeting its primary endpoint. The drug works by blocking certain GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas to curb excess insulin secretion and stabilize blood glucose.
Avexitide was well-tolerated, with mild-to-moderate side effects including diarrhea and bruising. The results mark a major comeback for Amylyx, which had to pull its ALS drug Relyvrio from the market in 2024 after a trial failure. Amylyx acquired avexitide from Eiger BioPharmaceuticals for $35.1 million during Eiger's bankruptcy auction and now plans to file for U.S. marketing approval by end of 2026, targeting a 2027 commercial launch.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: For bariatric surgery patients who suffer from post-bariatric hypoglycemia — a condition that can cause cognitive impairment, loss of consciousness, and seizures — avexitide could be the first approved pharmacological solution, offering a meaningful quality-of-life improvement in a historically underserved patient population.
