Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy have transformed the diabetes and weight loss treatment landscape, but when it comes to the impact of their active ingredient, semaglutide, on fetal development, “the answer is we do not know,” said Dr. Marijane Hynes, clinical professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Hynes…

The latest crop of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide (technically, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist), have upended the way we treat metabolic disorders, including obesity. These drugs mimic gut hormones, improving blood sugar control and often leading to significant weight loss. But as Kyasha Sri Ranjan, Ph.D., engagement manager at Lifescience…

The recent FDA approval of a cardiovascular risk reduction indication for Wegovy (semaglutide) could point toward a significant opportunity for pharma companies seeking to reshape payer perceptions and expand coverage for next-gen metabolic therapies. This regulatory shift, allowing Wegovy to be prescribed for reducing the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attack…

Semaglutide was already one of the best-selling drugs of recent memory. And Novo Nordisk the fastest-growing Big Pharma firm. Now, the FDA’s decision to expand the label of its weight-loss version of the drug to include cardiovascular benefits could help unlock more growth momentum for Novo Nordisk. This positions Wegovy as the first weight-loss medication…

No longer just a diabetes company, Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide-based therapies have fueled its rise to pharma powerhouse status. From 2021 to 2023, the company cemented its position as the fastest-growing Big Pharma player, reaching a 35% year-over-year growth rate in 2023 and 74% growth from 2020 to 2023 when measured in U.S. dollars. While Pfizer…

In late 2023, Eli Lilly, whose stock is now up close to 80% over the past year, inked a deal with the Emeryville, California–based Fauna Bio potentially worth $494 million that focuses on the discovery of novel drug targets for treating obesity. In 2020, Fauna entered into an obesity-focused collaboration with Novo Nordisk, Lilly’s primary…

Lilly’s hot weight loss drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) may be one of the most effective drug therapies for weight loss. In an open-label 36-week study, participants lost an average of 20.9% of their body weight in 36 weeks. With an average weight of 107.3 kg (236.5 lbs), that equates to about 22.4 kg (49.4 lbs) on average.…

A new real-world study (pre-print) is the first to directly compare weight loss outcomes between the popular diabetes medications Lilly’s Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic (semaglutide). The results show Mounjaro users are significantly more likely to achieve meaningful weight loss. Analyzing data from more than 40,000 patients from a large U.S. health database, the…

Lilly’s tirzepatide notched an FDA approval for chronic weight management, potentially clearly the way for billions in additional sales. Analysts have projected that the drug could fetch $26 billion in annual sales by 2030, with roughly two-thirds of that sum related to obesity​ treatment​. Bank of America analyst Geoff Meacham is even more optimistic, predicting…

The explosive sales growth of GLP-1 drugs has analysts projecting that the antiobesity drugs could be a $44 billion market by 2030. Some observers are more upbeat, projecting that the sector could be worth more than $100 billion in the coming years. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla projects that the market will reach $90 billion by…

Eli Lilly‘s (NYSE:LLY) tirzepatide achieved up to 15.7% weight loss in the SURMOUNT-2 study, sparking a potential tirzepatide versus semaglutide competition in the obesity and type 2 diabetes treatment markets. The phase 3 study enrolled 938 participants with diverse backgrounds. Tirzepatide promises to be a megablockbuster with a number of analysts pegging peak annual sales…