The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) rolled out negotiated costs of the second batch of drugs subject to such bargaining under the Inflation Reduction Act. Wall Street was not surprised to learn that the numbers amount to much greater cuts than the Biden administration managed for 2026. CMS said the adjusted maximum fair prices would have achieved 44% lower net spending had they been implemented in 2024 – 36% if forgiven discounts from the part D redesign of the Medicare prescription drug benefit are figured in. Fifteen drugs are listed.
In a phase II study, Novo Nordisk A/S’s amycretin reduced the weight of type 2 diabetes patients by 14.5% in 36 weeks, a statistically significant loss. The results also produced reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, an average of blood glucose that is used to monitor blood sugar control, below 7% in up to 89.1% of the participants.
Novo Nordisk A/S’ wild card bet that its GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease has not paid off, with the company reporting two phase III trials have shown no effect on slowing disease progression.
Could GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), already used in obesity and diabetes, be repurposed as drugs to slow aging? Hong Kong, one of the places in the world with the highest human longevity, is also home to a scientific study on the effects of GLP-1RAs. For the first time, scientists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have assessed their pharmacological potential in later life using a multiomics preclinical approach.
Success in Japan may further bolster Protara Therapeutics Inc. in its push with TARA-002 in pediatric patients with macrocystic and mixed cystic lymphatic malformations (LMs), for which the New York-based firm disclosed interim results from an ongoing phase II trial.
Korro Bio Inc.’s latest update on RNA editing prospect KRRO-110 may mean one less competitor in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), and shares of the firm (NASDAQ:KRRO) closed Nov. 13 at $6.50, down $24.92, or 79%. As part of the third-quarter earnings report, Korro said KRRO-110 produced functional protein in AATD patients but fell short of projected levels of functional protein after a single administration.
ABL Bio Inc. inked a license and research agreement with Eli Lilly and Co. worth up to $2.6 billion to develop multiple therapeutics using the Grabody-B platform. Under the terms announced Nov. 12, ABL will receive a $40 million up-front payment and up to $2.56 billion in development, regulatory and commercialization milestones, plus tiered royalties on net sales.
South Korean researchers led by Lee In-suk of Yonsei University have reported the most complete oral microbiome catalog to date, with more than 72,000 genomes. Detailed in Cell Host & Microbe on Nov. 12, 2025, the database is expected to serve as a universal platform for academia and enable “precision microbiome medicine” for the industry, Lee told BioWorld.
In a deal worth $1.2 billion, Suzhou Sanegene Bio Inc. and Eli Lilly and Co. are partnering to advance RNAi candidates for metabolic diseases based on Sanegene's tissue selective delivery technology.
Pfizer Inc. emerged over the weekend as the winner of the bidding war for Metsera Inc., with the two reaching an amended agreement after market close Nov. 7 that values the obesity drugmaker at about $10 billion. The next day, the other contender, Novo Nordisk A/S, confirmed it does not intend to increase its most recent offer.
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