Weight loss
Aiming to compete in the lucrative weight-loss drug market, Zealand Pharma on Thursday posted topline results showing its dapiglutide led to only a slight weight reduction in low doses.
Full data from the FLOW study show that Novo Nordisk’s top-selling GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide can significantly reduce the risk of death by 20% in diabetes patients with chronic kidney disease.
SixPeaks Bio emerged from stealth Wednesday with up to $110 million, a deal with AstraZeneca and plans to take weight-loss candidates designed to preserve muscle mass toward the clinic.
While Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk currently dominate the GLP-1 receptor agonist space, there are more than 50 candidates in clinical development for obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to analytics firm GlobalData.
A Senate health committee report published Wednesday forecasts spending on prescription drugs to hit $1 trillion a year in 2031, unless the prices of GLP-1 medicines such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy are cut.
Roche’s $2.7 billion acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics in December 2023 appears to be paying off as its investigational GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist induced strong weight loss in a Phase Ib study.
The weight-loss drug bonanza continued in the first quarter of 2024 for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, as Amgen also posted strong results, while Biogen and BMS struggled early in the financial year.
While the FTC continues to review its $16.5 billion buy of Catalent, Novo Holdings announced Wednesday it has acquired a majority stake in Single Use Support, an Austrian life sciences tools company.
Presented at this week’s European Congress on Obesity, the two studies also demonstrate that Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) provides cardiovascular benefits irrespective of starting weight and the amount of weight lost.
Crackdowns on drug pricing have forced one major insulin out of the market. Are more to come?
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