Amgen, Inc.

Roche acquires Poseida Therapeutics for up to $1.5B, expanding into CAR-T therapies. U.S. overdose deaths decline by 14.5% to 97,000 over 12 months. Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals licenses programs to Sarepta Therapeutics for $500M upfront and $325M in equity. Recordati and Angelini Pharma consider merger to form Europe's largest generics group. FDA approves BridgeBio's heart drug for transthyretin amyloidosis, challenging Pfizer's tafamidis. Novo Holdings expected to receive EU approval for $16.5B acquisition of Catalent Pharma Solutions. Amgen's obesity drug MariTide shows 20% weight loss in Phase II. Anavex Life Sciences submits MAA to EMA for Alzheimer's treatment. Biohaven's muscle drug fails in SMA study. embecta reports strong revenues of $1.12B, discontinues insulin patch pump. Axsome Therapeutics reports positive Phase 3 results for narcolepsy drug AXS-12. Kronos Bio to lay off 83% of workforce. PTC Therapeutics sells Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher for $150M. EMA launches medicine shortages monitoring platform. Alector lays off 41 employees after Alzheimer's drug AL002 fails. Grifols seeks to refinance €1.4B in debt. Roche's cancer drug tiragolumab fails Phase 3 trial.

BridgeBio Pharma's BBIO surged on FDA approval of Attruby for ATTR-CM, while Cassava Sciences' SAVA plummeted as simufilam failed in Alzheimer's study. Amgen's AMGN reported positive data on MariTide for obesity but saw stock decline. Applied Therapeutics' APLT faced a CRL for govorestat in galactosemia treatment.

Amgen's stock dropped 12% due to clinical data update, but recovered to close 4.7% down. MariTide, Amgen's anti-obesity drug, showed 20% weight loss with 8% discontinuation rate, potentially challenging Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. Despite market skepticism, Amgen's stock remains a buy due to MariTide's potential market share growth and undervaluation.

Amgen's MariTide shows promising results in phase 3 trials for obesity treatment, potentially reshaping the paradigm with significant weight loss and improved quality of life. The drug mimics gut hormones to regulate appetite and metabolism, supported by comprehensive behavioral interventions. As the pharmaceutical industry focuses on accessible and affordable solutions, MariTide's approval could redefine weight management, addressing both biological and social determinants of obesity.

Amgen to present at the 7th Annual Evercore HealthCONx Conference on Dec. 4, 2024, featuring Peter Griffith, Jay Bradner, and Susan Sweeney in a fireside chat. Webcast available on Amgen's website.

Amgen's stock dropped 6% due to an unintentional disclosure of unappetizing clinical trial data for its anti-obesity candidate, MariTide, which showed a 4% bone mineral density loss in some patients. Despite this, Amgen maintains no bone safety concerns and the data does not impact the ongoing phase 2 trials or the candidate's market potential. Amgen's stock remains a buy, supported by its strong pipeline and recent earnings growth.

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Amgen's MariTide, a monthly weight loss injection, helped patients lose up to 20% of their weight in a phase 2 trial, with higher discontinuation rates compared to Zepbound and Wegovy. The drug also aided Type 2 diabetes patients in losing up to 17% of their weight, with no plateau observed. Amgen plans to initiate a larger study for U.S. approval, though shares fell 5% due to results at the lower end of Wall Street's expectations.