What the results might mean for the future of other developers in the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) weight-loss arena came into question after Novo Nordisk A/S unveiled phase IIa findings with monlunabant, a small-molecule oral inverse agonist, formerly INV-202.
Three biopharmas debuted on Nasdaq Sept. 13, raising a combined $703 million for two Massachusetts-based companies focused on bifunctional antibodies for autoimmune diseases and cancer, and one Midwestern firm developing peptide therapies for endocrine and metabolic disorders.
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.
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. China represents the world’s largest population of diabetes and obesity patients. Its GLP-1 market, valued at about $1.7 billion in 2023 according to Clarivate, is expected to grow as the number of obesity patients is projected to exceed 500 million by 2033.
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.
The dark matter of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is shades brighter, after the signing of two major deals between biotech pioneers and big pharma in the past week. Haya Therapeutics SA announced Sept. 4 that it has sealed a multiyear agreement with Eli Lilly and Co. to apply its lncRNA platform technology to identify targets in obesity and related metabolic disorders.
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.”
In the wake of shortages for Novo Nordisk A/S’ Ozempic (semaglutide), Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has announced that Wegovy, which has the same active ingredient, is now available in Australia and is advising prescribers to stop prescribing Ozempic off-label for weight loss.
GPCR drug discovery and development specialist Confo Therapeutics NV has closed a €60 million (US$65.2 million) series B round that will fund a significant expansion of the inhouse portfolio while it continues to turn the handle on its technology platform to generate more compounds for partnering.
RSS
