Alimentary/Metabolic
CEO Alex Zhavoronkov talks about the firm’s progress in AI-driven R&D, hitting the right level of drug novelty, partnering with Eli Lilly and its goal of outperforming China’s biopharma engine.
Natco has announced a 90% difference in the price of its semaglutide generic in multi-dose vials versus originator Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic pen ahead of launch tomorrow as Novo’s patents on the product expire today. Its pen will be 70% cheaper.
The approval of Wegovy HD brings a more effective version to the lower-dose version and the oral formulation, but the company has struggled to compete with obesity rival Eli Lilly.
The company announced the first Phase III data testing the GIP/GLP-1/glucagon agonist in diabetic patients, showing reductions in blood sugar and superior weight loss to Mounjaro.
Near-term focus for Rhythm will be on the upcoming regulatory decision for Imcivree in acquired hypothalamic obesity, with an FDA decision expected in the coming days.
Zydus’s investment in a differentiated drug-device combination for semaglutide has led to a win-win GLP-1 co-marketing deal with Lupin even as the Indian drug regulator keeps a watch on advertising activities
Structure reported new weight-loss data for oral GLP-1 aleniglipron and showed that a 2.5mg starting dose can mitigate tolerability issues seen in earlier results.
Following promising obesity data for oral GLP-1 agonist ASC30, Ascletis unveiled data with a subcutaneous formulation showing efficacy as a monthly injection and possibly quarterly maintenance use.
China has granted a world-first approval to a cAMP-biased GLP-1R agonist, Sciwind's ecnoglutide, for weight management, following convincing Phase III results.
AbbVie chief scientific officer Thakkar talked about ways to avoid pitfalls in immunology studies, while Neurocrine chief scientific officer Onyia outlined the company’s new obesity strategy, among other updates.
Aardvark’s pause of its Phase III PWS trial after a cardiac signal in a separate study has shaken confidence in the drug’s once‑touted safety edge and has triggered a sharp fall in shares.
Lilly hailed Phase III data showing its oral GLP-1 analog demonstrated superiority to oral semaglutide in HbA1c reduction, but the Novo drug yielded a better tolerability profile.
Having got several pill versions of semaglutide approved, the Danish firm is tapping into external innovation to identify the next generation of oral therapeutics.
UBT251 produced weight loss of nearly 20% in less than six months in a Phase II China study, making it competitive with Lilly’s retatrutide.
Analysts think Novo could deploy as much as $35bn in M&A firepower to help turnaround its fortunes this year.
Novo’s combination drug achieved 20.2% weight loss compared with Zepbound’s 23.6% in REDEFINE 4, dealing another blow to its hopes of regaining lost ground.
Adam Steensberg also said that injectables are here to stay in the obesity market even with the arrival of oral Wegovy.
With its first-to-market position in MASH, Madrigal plans to build an enduring franchise to take advantage of growth that it projects will mirror the IBD, RA and psoriasis markets.
A pivotal year lies ahead for its Roche-partnered obesity hopeful petrelintide.
2026 has already seen some interesting late-stage trial readouts, from Sanofi’s anti-OX40L antibody, amlitelimab, in atopic dermatitis to Vertex’s APRIL/BAFF inhibitor, povetacicept, in IgA nephropathy. Here Scrip surveys of some of the more interesting Phase III clinical trials still to come.