Biotech
Friday, July 12th, 2024 2:49 pm EDT
Key Points
- Shift Towards Oral Obesity Drugs: Drugmakers are racing to introduce oral medications for weight loss and diabetes, aiming to replace popular injectable GLP-1 agonists like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Ozempic. These new pills promise greater convenience and potentially lower costs, addressing current supply shortages and offering an alternative to monthly injections.
- Leading Innovations and Trials: Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are at the forefront with their developments. Novo Nordisk is advancing with a high-dose oral semaglutide aimed at weight management, showing promising results in phase three trials. Eli Lilly is progressing with orforglipron, which demonstrated significant weight loss in mid-stage trials, with late-stage results expected by 2025.
- Expanding Pharmaceutical Landscape: Beyond Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, other companies like Pfizer, Structure Therapeutics, Viking Therapeutics, Roche, and AstraZeneca are also developing oral drugs targeting obesity, diabetes, or both, reflecting a competitive landscape poised for further innovation and market expansion.
The article discusses the evolving landscape of obesity and diabetes treatment, focusing on the pharmaceutical industry’s shift towards developing oral medications as alternatives to existing injectable drugs. Currently, popular GLP-1 agonist drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Ozempic dominate the market despite their high costs and weekly injection requirements. However, new advancements aim to introduce more convenient, affordable oral pills, potentially alleviating supply shortages and lowering treatment costs. Novo Nordisk has already introduced Rybelsus, an oral version of semaglutide, although its pricing remains comparable to injectables.
Pfizer, after setbacks in previous attempts, is pursuing an oral obesity pill with danuglipron, now focusing on a once-daily formulation undergoing further studies. Eli Lilly is also progressing with orforglipron, showing promising weight loss results in mid-stage trials. Novo Nordisk is ahead with their high-dose oral semaglutide for weight management, expecting FDA approval filings soon, and is exploring amycretin, a novel appetite-suppressing pill targeting GLP-1 and amylin hormones. These advancements highlight a competitive landscape among pharmaceutical giants and emerging companies like Structure Therapeutics, Viking Therapeutics, Roche, and AstraZeneca, each developing their own oral GLP-1-based treatments.
Additionally, the article touches on broader trends in digital health funding, where investments in AI-driven startups within the sector have surged in 2024. Despite challenges from pandemic-fueled funding peaks in recent years, there’s renewed optimism with strong Series A activity and a gradual return to labeled fundraising rounds. The digital health IPO market also shows signs of rejuvenation, reflecting broader market trends. Overall, the developments in both pharmaceutical innovation and digital health funding indicate a dynamic year ahead for health tech advancements and market expansions.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/11/healthy-returns-drugmakers-are-racing-to-develop-weight-loss-pills.html
