Obesity
Eli Lilly sauntered into the American Diabetes Association meeting with a commanding lead in the metabolic space and put down more evidence for its pipeline, including new pill Foundayo and next-gen asset retatrutide, in new indications.
Analysts and investors were unimpressed by Phase 2 data posted in the spring showing that an amylin analog developed by Roche and partner Zealand Pharma elicited 9% weight loss, less than Eli Lilly’s rival candidate. Executives from both companies told BioSpace that premium weight loss is not the point of petrelintide.
The American Diabetes Association’s annual congress will feature a superstar lineup, including weight loss giants Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. But several scrappy biotechs will also present obesity candidates with the potential to match—if not outperform—their deep-pocketed competitors.
Improved survival on display at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago; Pfizer’s unusual pact with China’s Innovent highlights a new type of collaboration; Eli Lilly continues its nonstop deal streak, including with Chinese biotechs; and looking ahead to this weekend’s American Diabetes Association meeting.
After trial flops in spinal muscular atrophy, depression and bipolar disorder—and a costly rare disease drug rejection—Biohaven is undergoing a reset, recasting its former SMA candidate for obesity.
Kailera Therapeutics is advancing a pipeline of weight loss medicines that mirrors Eli Lilly’s: an injectable GLP-1/GIP dual agonist like Zepbound, an oral GLP-1 like Foundayo and a triple-G therapy like retatrutide.
Lilly met analysts’ sky-high expectations with 28.3% weight loss over 80 weeks for the triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide in a highly anticipated readout on Thursday.
BioSpace examines how the FDA approval of Eli Lilly’s oral obesity drug Foundayo has ignited a key race with Novo Nordisk.
Despite seeing some regain, patients in two trials maintained most of their weight loss after switching to either Foundayo or lower-dose Zepbound from other injectable incretin therapies.
With Siran Biotechnology under its fold, GSK will have access to a long-acting siRNA therapy that could induce weight loss while preserving lean mass, in addition to addressing other weight-related comorbidities.
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