Nearly $3.8 billion was earned by Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly and Co. in the third quarter for their glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs to treat obesity. Novo’s GLP-1 drug, Wegovy (semaglutide), approved by the U.S. FDA in June 2021, had sales of DKK17.3 billion (US$2.5 billion), while Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide), which is a GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide dual agonist FDA-approved in November 2023, posted sales of $1.26 billion for the quarter.

Positive findings from a phase III trial of semaglutide in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is moving Novo Nordisk A/S to expand the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist’s indications in the U.S. and Europe, the Danish pharma said, as the MASH field sights more novel therapies.

While uncertainty often casts a shadow on the Street, U.S. investors welcomed the presidential and congressional election results with a late-night surge that carried into the morning Nov. 6. The Dow Jones peaked at 1,380.47 points early the day after, up 3.27% from Election Day itself and hitting its highest point of the year so far. The celebration extended to the biotech sector, with the BioWorld Index, which covers more than 500 companies, up 17.06% for the year, compared with a 12.28% increase for the year on Nov. 1.

Through September 2024, biopharma firms secured $720.56 million in nonprofit deals, up in value through July and also marking a 21% rise from the $593.23 million in the first three quarters of 2023, though still falling short of 2019-2022 levels. Grants saw an even sharper surge, jumping 131% year-over-year from $1.66 billion to $3.84 billion in the same period, falling short only of 2020 in value.

The nearer-looming threat of a biosimilar from Amgen Inc. to heavyweight Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s age-related macular degeneration (AMD) VEGF therapy, Eylea (aflibercept), along with other issues, pressured shares of the latter (NASDAQ:REGN) since reporting third-quarter earnings Oct 31. But Wall Street pundits are not altogether aligned on how serious the scenario might be. After the earnings update, Regeneron’s stock fell 12%, from $925 to $819.96, and closed Nov. 1 at $843.60, up $5.40.

The drug and device industries have a lot hinging on the results of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential and congressional elections. Tax policies. The reach of the FTC. Legislation aimed at drug prices, competition, pharmacy benefit managers and lab-developed tests. Cabinet and agency appointments that could reshape Medicare drug negotiations, the 340B program, FDA Orange Book device patent listings, regulatory flexibility and Bayh-Dole march-ins. And that’s just the top of the list.

The BioWorld Cancer Index (BCI) took a hit in September, ending the month down 11.52%, a notable slide from its 3.94% decline at the end of July and 9.63% drop by the end of August. The BCI’s performance starkly contrasts with the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index, which jumped 9.09%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s 12.31% gain over the same nine-month period. This marks a stark reversal for the BCI, which had a standout year in 2023, closing with a 76.26% gain.