GLP-1
Amid high rates of U.S. obesity, a bipartisan bill has been reintroduced in the Senate and House of Representatives with backing from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Boehringer Ingelheim.
This week: Cancer license deals from J&J and BeiGene, a potential $7B acquisition by Roche and confirmed $1.9B Lilly buy, EU fine for Illumina, and more legal challenges to the Inflation Reduction Act
Eli Lilly said Friday it plans to pay up to $1.925 billion to acquire Versanis and its lead asset, bimagrumab, a monoclonal antibody that aims to reduce fat mass without affecting muscle mass.
The European Medicines Agency has widened its review of potential suicide risks associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists. The probe, which started July 3, is expected to conclude in November.
After an initial series of legal complaints in June, Novo Nordisk filed four new lawsuits Thursday against Florida and Tennessee pharmacies for allegedly selling products containing semaglutide.
The European Medicines Agency recently flagged a safety signal related to GLP-1 receptor agonists and sent a list of questions to manufacturers including Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Sanofi and AstraZeneca.
Patients treated in a Phase II study with Lilly’s retatrutide saw up to 24% weight loss at 48 weeks, driven by a triagonist mode of action that can bind and activate the GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors.
The company is dropping its GLP-1 receptor agonist candidate lotiglipron after it induced elevations in liver enzymes in patients treated with the investigational drug.
New Phase II data, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed Lilly’s oral GLP-1 receptor agonist orforglipron induced nearly 15% weight loss in obese and overweight adults.
Pieris Pharmaceuticals announced partner AstraZeneca’s decision to discontinue clinical studies of elarekibep, an inhaled IL-4 receptor alpha inhibitor, based on a non-clinical toxicology study.
PRESS RELEASES