Roche’s obesity candidate achieves 22.5% weight loss in Phase II; Moderna pulls the plug on late-stage vaccine trials as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s anti-vaccine policies and rhetoric continues; and embattled gene therapy maker Sarepta announces new data in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
> Listen on Spotify
> Listen on Apple Products
> Listen on Amazon Music
> Listen on iHeart
Roche made the biggest splash this week so far, announcing on Tuesday that GLP-1/GIP injectable CT-388 led to 22.5% weight loss in a Phase II trial. These numbers appear to put CT-388, which Roche acquired in its $2.7 billion Carmot buy, in line with Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, according to William Blair analysts. Roche plans to start a Phase III study of CT-388 in the first half of this year and is also pairing the drug with a therapy from Zealand Pharma, with the aim of offering a weight loss option with fewer gastrointestinal side effects.
Meanwhile, Baseline Therapeutics debuted to challenge Lilly with a Phase III–ready GLP-1 for alcohol use disorder.
In the vaccines sector, Moderna took perhaps the biggest action to date amid Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s anti-vaccine policies and rhetoric, last week announcing that the company will no longer run late-stage vaccine trials for infectious diseases. “You cannot make a return on investment if you don’t have access to the U.S. market,” CEO Stéphane Bancel said the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, also speaking at Davos, called RFK Jr.’s rhetoric and policies on vaccines “anti-science.”
Finally, Sarepta released new data on Monday for Elevidys, the company’s embattled gene therapy for neuromuscular disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Plus, check out up-and-coming treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
