obesity

Heart disease remains the number one killer globally, but the megablockbuster tirzepatide is proving it can do more than just help people lose weight – it’s now showing promise in fighting heart failure, too. In topline results from the phase 3 SUMMIT study, Lilly’s dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist tirzepatide cut the risk of heart failure…

Boehringer Ingelheim has partnered with Gubra, a specialized biotech company and preclinical CRO that specializes in peptide-based drug discovery for metabolic diseases, to launch phase 1 clinical trials for BI 3034701. This drug candidate is a long-acting peptide designed to target three different receptors associated with weight loss, offering a potential new avenue for tackling…

Today, Lilly announced promising data for the SURMOUNT-OSA phase 3 clinical trials testing tirzepatide in adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity. The company shared the data at the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 84th Scientific Sessions while publishing them in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). The SURMOUNT-OSA phase 3 trial consists…

[Updated May 21, 2024.] 2023 may not go down as the brightest year for the pharma sector, but the entry of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic (semaglutide) into the ranks of top-selling drugs like Keytruda, Dupixent, and Eliquis signals a new era in the treatment of metabolic disease. Novo Nordisk’s sales jumped by more than one-third in…

Eli Lilly is experiencing meteoric growth in 2024, driven by surging demand for its metabolic therapies. In the first quarter, Lilly’s revenue jumped 26% year-over-year to $8.77 billion, propelled by strong sales of diabetes drug Mounjaro and weight loss treatment Zepbound Lilly also significantly raised its full-year 2024 outlook. The company now expects revenue in…

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…

 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…

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…

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 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 (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…

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’…

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…

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…