An innovation that has kickstarted a revolution in the study and practice of health care is getting even more attention. Three scientists who pioneered the discovery and development of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based obesity treatments have been named 2024 Lasker Award winners.
Ascletis Pharma Inc. is entering the obesity space, announcing it has begun two phase I trials for ASC-30, a small-molecule glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that can be dosed once monthly subcutaneously and once daily orally for treating obesity.
Two leading glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for obesity and type 2 diabetes – Novo Nordisk A/S’s semaglutide (Wegovy/Ozempic) and Eli Lilly and Co.’s tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) – are advancing in China after taking the U.S. market by storm.
As Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. go head-to-head in the U.S. and Chinese glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) market for diabetes and obesity, Novo Nordisk is in innovator gear once more with leading studies of GLP-1s in Alzheimer’s disease.
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.
Yoltech Therapeutics Co. Ltd. licensed its PCSK9-targeting gene editing therapeutic, YOLT-101, to Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. for mainland China rights in a deal worth ¥1.035 billion (US$145 million).
Yunovia Co. Ltd. gained clearance in South Korea to start a multiple ascending dose phase I study for ID-110521156 – a novel, orally available, small-molecule, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist.
Visen Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.’s palopegteriparatide met both primary and secondary endpoints in the phase III Pathway trial conducted in China in adults with chronic hypoparathyroidism, according to top-line data. In the 26-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Pathway trial, 77.6% of patients treated with palopegteriparatide achieved the primary multicomponent endpoint compared to 0% for placebo.
Tokyo-headquartered Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. said Aug. 1 that it will acquire Boston-based Jnana Therapeutics Inc. through a potential $1.125 billion M&A deal. Under the terms, Otsuka will work to close the transaction by the third quarter of 2024, with $800 million paid out to Jnana shareholders, along with up to $325 million in additional development and regulatory milestones payments.
Three Chinese biopharmaceuticals have filed for IPOs on the Hong Kong exchange in July alone, highlighting a potential “newfound positivity” to strengthen the HKEX IPO market in the second half of 2024.
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