A long-term look at obese and overweight patients with pre-diabetes found that weekly injections of Eli Lilly and Co.’s tirzepatide led to a 94% reduction in their risk of progression to type 2 diabetes compared to placebo – a result that Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger called “exceptional.” The top-line three-year data came from the Surmount-1 study, which first read out at 72 weeks in April 2022 and supported the U.S. FDA’s approval of the GLP-1 and GIP dual agonist branded Zepbound in November 2023 for chronic weight management in those obese or overweight with at least one other related condition. The newest results concentrate on 1,032 adults with pre-diabetes, following them over a 176-week treatment period in which they received injections of tirzepatide weekly at 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg, and then a 17-week off-treatment period. “These data support the utility of tirzepatide in providing transformational health benefits beyond weight loss alone, in our view,” Risinger said. In early trading Aug. 20, Lilly’s stock (NYSE:LLY) rose 3%, or $27.27, to $949.08.

Patient perspective: Cost of Medicare negotiations not in dollars

While the Biden administration continues applauding the savings it claims will be delivered by the first round of Medicare negotiations, many U.S. patients and their families are worried about the cost of the biopharma price-setting program – a cost they measure not in dollars and cents, but in worsening illness and lives that may be lost to a downturn in innovation and an upturn in barriers to access. Lowering drug costs is a good idea, but it shouldn’t be done in a way that reduces innovation for patients with few options, Martin Strebl-Bantillo, a principal at Lumanity, said during a recent webinar focusing on the unintended costs of the Inflation Reduction Act.

TYK Medicines raises $74M in HKEX IPO to launch EGFR inhibitor

TYK Medicines Inc. made a strong debut on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE), raising HK$579 million (US$74.32 million) to commercialize its lead compound, EGFR inhibitor TY-9591, now in pivotal trials in patients with EGFR mutation-positive lung cancer. Shanghai-headquartered TYK Medicines initially priced its HKEX offering of 47.88 million shares at HK$12.10 per share. The offering included 4.788 million shares in a Hong Kong public offering and 43.092 million shares in the international offer.

Vutrisiran phase III boosts Alnylam; biopharma index outperforms

The BioWorld Biopharmaceutical Index (BBI) climbed 16.31% by the end of July, continuing its lead over both the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index, which rose 10.82%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, up 8.37%. This follows an 8.15% gain in the BBI at the close of May, marking a strong performance throughout 2024. By the end of July, 15 stocks tracked on BBI 10 had posted gains for the year, while seven were down.

Structural study gives insights into influenza virus species jumps

“There are hundreds of strains of bird flu, and most of them don’t infect humans, or even mammals,” Stephen Cusack told BioWorld. “There are two main reasons for that.” To be able to cause an infection, a virus “has to be able to get into the cell, and for that it needs a receptor,” Cusack said. For influenza viruses, those receptors are hemagglutinin receptors, and they differ in subtle but important ways between birds and mammals.

Talus brings in $11.2M to target the undruggable

In its fifth year of transcription factor discovery Talus Bioscience Inc. just raised $11.2 million in new venture funding. Seattle-based Talus will use the money to further develop its MARMOT (Multiplexed Assays for the Rational Modulation Of Transcription Factors) platform, which uses artificial intelligence to focus on transcription factor activity. The company’s therapeutic programs include Brachyury-driven cancers and an undruggable transcription factor that has a role in prostate cancer. The funding round was led by Two Bear Capital, along with WRF Capital, NFX, YC Continuity Fund, Funders Club VC and Boxone Ventures.

Also in the news

89bio, Actio, Arthrosi, Atossa, Avenacy, Avidity, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cidara, Corbus, Daiichi Sankyo, Hyloris, Incyclix, Latigo, Liquidia, Mindbio, Ocuvex, Pepgen, Phanes, Phathom, Scisparc, Supernus, Tanvex, Visiox