Chinese pharmaceutical and biotech companies are leading development of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists as Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. edge closer to launching blockbuster therapies in China. At the heart of the GLP-1 boom is a nationwide obesity problem driven by a confluence of factors, including the rise of a modern, sedentary lifestyle, according to Clarivate. Despite the rising prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, the gap in obesity therapeutics is “substantial and leaves a solid market opportunity for weight loss drugs,” Karan Verma, principal analyst of healthcare research & data analytics at Clarivate, said.

Dexcom Inc. revealed data from several studies showing significant benefits of its continuous glucose monitoring technology on adults with type 2 diabetes who are not treated with insulin. In one study, 100% of these users made dietary changes after starting to use Dexcom CGM, with 91% feeling empowered to manage their condition and 27% improving medication adherence after six months.

Qure.ai Technologies Private Ltd.’s Qxr artificial intelligence-powered chest X-ray interpretation system identified high-risk pulmonary nodules an average of 32 months before physicians diagnosed lung cancer, a study presented September 8 at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Diego found.

Researchers at Klick Labs Inc. reported using a person’s voice to predict chronic hypertension with a high degree of accuracy. Data published in IEEE Access, found the potential for advancing early detection of chronic high blood pressure, showcasing another novel way to harness vocal biomarkers for better health outcomes.

The third of three late-stage studies from Bayer AG in treating menopausal symptoms with elinzanetant has produced positive data for a nonhormonal treatment. Women looking for a nonhormonal option specifically for vasomotor symptoms, more often called hot flashes, will find few choices.

Implications for Amgen Inc.’s same-class Tepezza (teprotumumab) of positive phase III data from Viridian Therapeutics Inc. with veligrotug in thyroid eye disease became a topic of talk on Wall Street talk. “I’m not drawing any clinical trial comparisons, you’ll have to reach your own conclusions,” CEO Steve Mahoney said during a conference call on the results.

More than three months ago, investors first learned that ivonescimab, a PD-1/VEGF-targeting bispecific antibody from Summit Therapeutics and Akeso Pharmaceuticals Inc., bested Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in PD-L1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). At the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer over the weekend, Summit rolled out detailed data from the phase III Harmoni-2 trial, which included a nearly doubling of progression-free survival for ivonescimab compared to Merck & Co. Inc.’s established blockbuster drug.

Boosting shares by nearly 17% on Sept. 9, phase I data of Terns Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, TERN-601, demonstrated it was well-tolerated and led to a statistically significant weight loss across all three doses tested in healthy adults who were obese or overweight.