Weight loss
Analysts called the approval a much-needed win for Novo Nordisk, but warned that the company could struggle to grow sales once rival drugs come to market.
Of all the stories we published this year, these deep dives by BioSpace editors stand out as relevant re-reads going into the New Year.
The filing comes as Novo fights tooth-and-nail with rival Lilly to regain its footing at the top of the weight loss market.
Participants in a Phase III trial who switched to Eli Lilly’s orforglipron after 72 weeks of treatment with Wegovy or Zepbound largely maintained their weight loss for up to a year.
Eli Lilly’s retatrutide exceeds expectations in Phase III, capping off a sparkling 2025 for the obesity titan; an internal FDA safety review finds no confirmed pediatric deaths caused by COVID-19 vaccines, and Commissioner Marty Makary says no black box warning will be attached to the shots; and BioSpace looks at six biotechs that could be pharma’s next buy.
Analysts were hoping for a safety profile similar to what was achieved in Phase II but an abnormal sense of touch, called dysesthesia, has emerged in the late-stage TRIUMPH-4 trial.
Also on Thursday, Zealand held its Capital Markets Day in London, outlining the strategy for its weight management franchise in the near-term, including launching five products by 2030.
Pfizer deals again in obesity space as Wave and Structure drop splashy weight loss results; what CDER Director Richard Pazdur’s sudden retirement means for biopharma; neuro diseases take center stage at CTAD; and more.
Pfizer apparently had more in the tank after the high-profile battle to acquire Metsera earlier this fall. The company has licensed a new GLP-1 from YaoPharma.
Structure’s aleniglipron elicited over 11% weight loss in a Phase II trial, sending the biotech’s stock up nearly 103% as markets closed on Monday.
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