Metabolic disorders
Novo Nordisk follows Christmas oral Wegovy approval with quick launch; Eli Lilly is headed for $94.3 billion in annual revenue by 2027, analysts predict; nine more pharmas strike Most Favored Nation deals but half remain unsigned; experts call for stability and rare disease action at FDA, and all eyes are on M&A ahead of the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference next week.
Arrowhead heralded the results as proof of concept that inhibiting the Activin E pathway can improve body composition and enhance weight loss as compared to tirzepatide alone, particularly in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Eli Lilly kicked off a pivotal 2026 campaign with a multi-year collaboration with current partner Nimbus Therapeutics worth a potential $1.3 billion for a preclinical obesity therapeutic. The deal follows a 2022 partnership struck by the companies to target the AMPK protein in cardiometabolic diseases.
The agreement, which BMO Capital Markets called a “mild positive” for Structure, appears to address Roche’s concerns about the composition of investigational weight loss drug CT-996.
After a strong open to the year, the public markets suffered a six-month drought that led to biotech’s tightest IPO window in years.
The fierce rivalry between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly is alive and well, as the two companies are expected to face off with their new obesity pills this year.
After getting the crucial first-mover advantage with an FDA approval for a weight loss pill, Novo Nordisk looks to win the market before rival Lilly can arrive with its own oral option for obesity.
As 2026 begins, a slate of high-stakes clinical readouts—from a pivotal study of Novartis’ cardiovascular candidate pelacarsen to a Phase III test of Eli Lilly’s next-gen Alzheimer’s drug—are poised to reshape therapeutic landscapes.
Analysts called the approval a much-needed win for Novo Nordisk, but warned that the company could struggle to grow sales once rival drugs come to market.
Of all the stories we published this year, these deep dives by BioSpace editors stand out as relevant re-reads going into the New Year.
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