Shares in Roche dropped to a two-month low on Thursday after an experimental weight-loss pill that carries high market hopes was linked to an elevated rate of temporary side effects in its initial test phase on humans.

Roche Holding AG said side effects in a highly anticipated study of its experimental obesity pill were milder when it eased patients into higher doses more slowly, seeking to reassure investors that it can compete in the next generation of weight loss drugs.

The release of early-stage data on three oral weight loss drug candidates hints at which companies have the strongest hand, but the comparisons are rife with confounding variables, leaving analysts unsure about where to place their bets.

Roche said on Wednesday the promising results of an early-stage trial of its experimental weight-loss pill that bolstered its shares in July were based on just six patients, underscoring the uncertainty of the development project.

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Shares in Roche fell on Thursday after an early-stage obesity pill candidate that carries high market hopes was linked to a high rate of temporary side effects in its initial test phase on humans. Roche shares were down 4% at the open at 0700 GMT after the company presented late on Wednesday details on the trial.

Shares of Roche (SIX:RO) fell on Thursday following reports from an early-stage trial of an obesity medication, which showed a high rate of temporary side effects. At 4:44 am (0844 GMT), Roche was trading 4% lower at