Novo Nordisk has received a considerable amount of attention for its meteoric growth of late, but Eli Lilly isn’t far off in that domain as of late. Lilly recently topped the S&P 500 healthcare index in terms of growth, jumping almost 34% as demand for its metabolic therapies surge. Last year, Lilly projected it would…
GLP-1s overtake metformin in metabolic clinical trials by a wide margin: A visual exploration
A recent review of more than 2,000 studies related at least indirectly to obesity on clinicaltrials.gov highlights the pronounced significant shift in research focus toward GLP-1 receptor agonists for a range of indications with at least some involvement of metabolic disorders. The site, which provides a robust but not-exhaustive snapshot of clinical trial activity, cites…
Best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023 reveal a shift in pharma landscape
Note: This feature on the best-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023 was updated on March 27. Changes are possible as more data become available. Sales of drugs with more than one developer are added together (as in the case of the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty) unless one of those companies records the net sales for it, i.e., Dupixent.…
When size doesn’t matter: How Lilly and Novo Nordisk are outperforming pharma giants in value creation
The graphic above shows darker bubbles for companies with larger market caps as of March 25, 2024. Revenue and R&D spending figures are in USD. More data are available when hovering over a given company. After a COVID-19 rebound in public perception and willingness to explore novel modalities, the pharma industry faces mounting pressures…
GLP-1s, ADCs, AI and the future of pharma
Pharma’s potential breakthroughs in AI, ADCs, and GLP-1 receptor agonists raise a critical question: can innovation outpace the relentless rise of chronic disease? The IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science sheds light on this theme, among many others, in its 80-page Global Trends in R&D 2024 report. Pillar 1: GLP-1 receptor agonists targeting metabolic disease…
Beyond GLP-1: OrsoBio targets mitochondria to treat metabolic disorders from a new and potentially complementary angle
Emerging from stealth in late 2022, Palo Alto–based biopharma startup OrsoBio announced four development programs targeting severe metabolic disorders. The CEO and founder, Dr. Mani Subramanian and chief medical officer and head of development Dr. Rob Myers formerly worked at Gilead. Founded in 2020 with a quest to “try to modulate energy metabolism in severe…
Lilly publishes promising phase 2 trial data for retatrutide, a potential obesity therapy
Lilly has announced promising data from its NCT 04881760 phase 2 study of retatrutide, a potential obesity drug. The drug candidate, a single peptide with agonist activity at the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, was associated with significant weight loss, improved glycemic control and cardiovascular health. At 24 weeks, retatrutide (1 mg,…
Pfizer accuses former employees of trade secret theft
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) is suing Regor Therapeutics, a China-headquartered company that announced a $1.5 billion diabetes alliance with Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) in late 2021. Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, Pfizer’s lawsuit also accuses former employees Xiayang Qiu, Min Zhong and 10 unnamed individuals of using its trade secrets as the…
Novo Nordisk to test oral semaglutide as an obesity therapy
Global pharma firm Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) will launch a Phase 3a study to investigate the potential of oral Ozempic (semaglutide) to treat obesity. The drug is currently indicated in a subcutaneous form in the U.S. for people with type 2 diabetes to improve glycemic control in conjunction with diet and exercise and to lower diabetics’…
Semaglutide shows promise for weight loss maintenance
Signs are growing that the diabetes drug Ozempic (semaglutide) from Novo Nordisk can support weight loss in overweight and obese individuals. A recent JAMA study involving overweight and obese individuals gave recipients a 2.4-mg subcutaneous dose of semaglutide once weekly for 20 weeks. After that period, investigators continued administering the drug to half of the participants while…
Semaglutide paired with behavioral therapy tripled weight loss in trial
The diabetes drug Ozempic (semaglutide) could potentially enhance weight loss in overweight and obese patients without diabetes, according to a study recently published in JAMA and The New England Journal of Medicine. In December, Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) submitted a new drug application to the FDA for a 2.4-mg dose of subcutaneous semaglutide for chronic weight management. The drug won FDA…