Amgen Positions MariTide for 8-Week to Quarterly Maintenance Dosing (4-6 Doses per Year) at Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference; Phase 3 Long-Term Extension and Switch Studies Underway
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) presented Thursday September 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo 21st Annual Healthcare Conference in Boston, with Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton MD outlining a positioning for MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide, an antibody-peptide conjugate combining a GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide with a GIP receptor antagonist antibody scaffold) that could support 8-week or quarterly maintenance dosing (approximately 4-6 doses per year) after the induction phase. Phase 2 data showed about 20% weight loss at 52 weeks alongside lower triglycerides, lower high-sensitivity CRP, and an 11 mmHg drop in blood pressure. Two Phase 3 long-term extension studies (MARITIME-1 EXTENSION and MARITIME-2 EXTENSION) are examining lower maintenance dosing frequencies, plus a dedicated switch trial (MARITIME-SWITCH) testing conversion from weekly semaglutide or tirzepatide onto monthly MariTide. Six total Phase 3 MariTide trials enroll across obesity, obesity plus type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, heart failure, and cardiovascular outcomes. Filing is planned late 2026 to early 2027 with anticipated launch 2027-2028. The 4% bone mineral density decline signal from Phase 1 remains a factor to watch in the Phase 3 dataset.