VNDA Stock Jumps on Upbeat Tradipitant Data Cutting GLP-1 Side Effects

Core Insights - Vanda Pharmaceuticals' shares increased by 21.6% following positive results from a mid-stage study of tradipitant, aimed at preventing nausea and vomiting caused by Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in overweight and obese adults [1][8] Study Details - The phase II study involved 116 healthy overweight or obese adults with no prior exposure to GLP-1 agonists, administering a 1 mg dose of Wegovy after a one-week pretreatment with either tradipitant 85 mg twice daily or placebo [3][4] - The study successfully met its primary endpoint, with 29.3% of tradipitant-treated patients experiencing vomiting compared to 58.6% on placebo, indicating a 50% relative reduction [4] - The key secondary endpoint was also met, showing a reduction in significant nausea to 22.4% in the tradipitant group versus 48.3% on placebo [5] Market Potential - Vanda Pharmaceuticals emphasized tradipitant's potential to mitigate nausea and vomiting, which are common reasons for early discontinuation of GLP-1 therapies, affecting 30-50% of patients [6] - If validated in larger studies, tradipitant could become a valuable adjunct in the expanding GLP-1 market, which surpassed $50 billion in the first nine months of 2025 [9] Future Plans - Based on the positive phase II results, Vanda plans to initiate a phase III program in the first half of 2026 to advance tradipitant as an adjunct therapy for patients on GLP-1 agonists [11] - The company is also exploring tradipitant for other conditions, including gastroparesis and motion sickness, with a regulatory filing for motion sickness under review by the FDA [12]