Vanda Pursues Tradipitant Approval, Aims to Reduce GLP 1 Side Effects

Vanda Pharmaceuticals said on November 18, 2025 that tradipitant produced positive results in trials aimed at preventing nausea and vomiting triggered by GLP 1 receptor agonists, a class of medicines now widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes and obesity. The company said it will evaluate an efficient development path toward regulatory approval and expects to initiate a Phase III program in the first half of 2026, positioning tradipitant as an adjunct to improve patient outcomes on GLP 1 therapy.

Nausea and vomiting are among the most common adverse effects that lead people to stop GLP 1 treatment before they receive the full clinical benefit. If tradipitant can safely reduce those symptoms, clinicians and public health experts say it could materially improve medication adherence and allow more patients to realize the metabolic and cardiovascular benefits associated with sustained GLP 1 treatment. Vanda framed the drug as addressing an unmet need in an expanding market for GLP 1 medicines, and highlighted the accuracy of estimates on patient discontinuation rates and projections for market growth as central to the commercial case.

The company disclosed plans to work with regulators and payers to streamline development, an approach that could accelerate patient access if Phase III results confirm earlier findings. For public health officials, the prospect of an effective supportive therapy raises questions about how to integrate such an option into care pathways, and how coverage decisions and pricing will influence equitable access. Policymakers must weigh the benefit of improved adherence against the potential for added cost and complexity in treatment regimens.

Community impact could be significant, particularly among populations already facing barriers to care. People with lower incomes and those in underresourced health systems are more likely to discontinue expensive therapies when side effects are burdensome. A tolerated adjunct therapy might narrow disparities in outcomes if it reaches patients in communities where sustained treatment has been hard to maintain. Achieving that outcome will depend on trial design, inclusive enrollment, and proactive payer policies.

Clinicians caution that regulatory success is not guaranteed, and the size of the GLP 1 market will influence how quickly tradipitant is adopted into clinical practice. The company’s emphasis on identifying an efficient development pathway reflects industry pressure to move swiftly in a crowded treatment landscape. Observers also note the need for robust safety data and real world evidence to ensure that benefit in controlled trials translates to diverse clinical settings.

As Vanda prepares for Phase III, stakeholders from patient advocates to regulators will be watching how the company balances speed with thorough evaluation, and whether the resulting therapy can meaningfully reduce treatment discontinuation while remaining accessible. The coming clinical program will determine whether tradipitant becomes a standard companion to GLP 1 therapies or another entrant in a crowded market with limited reach.