China’s National Medical Products Administration has accepted for review Jiuyuan Genetic Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd.’s drug application for Jikeqin, a biosimilar product to Novo Nordisk A/S’s Wegovy (semaglutide) for obesity.
Coming off a U.S. FDA approval of the first GLP-1 in pill format, Novo Nordisk A/S leaned further into oral drug delivery efforts, partnering with Vivtex Corp. to develop next-generation oral formulations of peptide and protein therapeutics in a potential $2.1 billion deal that marks the highest-profile news for Vivtex since the firm spun out of MIT in 2018.
Shares in Novo Nordisk A/S took another battering after the company announced its next-generation obesity drug Cagrisema failed to show noninferiority to Eli Lilly and Co. Inc.’s Zepbound in an open-label comparator study.
Novo Nordisk A/S’ television ad introducing the tablet form of its weight-loss drug, Wegovy (semaglutide), to American consumers didn’t pass regulatory muster.
True to its word, Novo Nordisk A/S filed a patent infringement lawsuit in U.S. district court against Hims & Hers Health Inc. over compounded versions of Novo’s semaglutide products.
Trumprx.gov launched with much fanfare late Feb. 5, and the online tool brings promise for the “world’s lowest prices” on prescription drugs. Alongside the website hoopla came word from Hims & Hers Health of its own steep discounts on what’s to be the compounded version of a Trumprx-featured therapy: oral Wegovy (semaglutide) for obesity. Novo Nordisk A/S, Wegovy’s originator, vowed to fight.
At a recent Cabinet meeting, U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy reportedly said he expected Trumprx to probably go live within 10 days. That was Jan. 29, two days before HHS was once again forced to shut down many of its activities due to a congressional gridlock over a fiscal 2026 appropriations package to keep the department and several others open beyond Jan. 30.
Novo Nordisk A/S has disclosed GLP-1 polypeptide analogues acting as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists. As such, they are reported to be useful for the treatment of obesity and diabetes.
After only three $1 billion-plus biopharma deals in November, December saw 14 blockbuster deals worth a total of $21.92 billion, including four deals worth more than $2 billion.
After only three $1 billion-plus biopharma deals in November, December saw 14 blockbuster deals worth a total of $21.92 billion, including four deals worth more than $2 billion.
