Structure Therapeutics

The article discusses the uncertain impact of the Trump administration on the pharmaceutical industry, including potential regulatory changes and drug price negotiations. It highlights therapeutic trends in metabolic and immune diseases, the competitive landscape in obesity drugs, underperformance of drug company stocks, challenges in vaccine sales, and the industry's pivot towards immunology.

2024 was challenging for healthcare, with patent expirations, cost scrutiny, and declining reimbursement rates. 2025 faces policy uncertainty under Trump, impacting Medicaid, ACA subsidies, and biopharma. Despite this, therapeutic innovation thrives, with advancements in obesity drugs, cancer treatments, HIV prevention, and ATTR-CM therapies.

Galapagos focuses on cancer cell therapy, reducing workforce by 40%. Novo Nordisk expands AI drug research to obesity and diabetes. Orbis Medicines secures €90M for oral peptide drugs. FDA approves notable regenerative and rare disease treatments. Pfizer ends Sangamo alliance. Axsome aims for FDA filing in Alzheimer’s agitation. Bristol Myers Squibb gains FDA nod for injectable cancer drug. Corxel Pharmaceuticals enters obesity meds race. 3D medical animation revolutionizes healthcare education. Sotyktu shows promise in psoriatic arthritis. Eli Lilly’s Zepbound approved for sleep apnea. SandboxAQ raises $300M for drug discovery. SiteOne secures $100M for non-opioid pain meds.

The anti-obesity medication (AOM) market is evolving, with 2025 set to be a pivotal year. Key developments include redefining obesity diagnosis, advancing AOM innovation, and expanding reimbursement. The market sees intense competition, with Lilly and Novo Nordisk leading. Real-world data on AOM effectiveness and patient outcomes will shape future strategies.

The obesity drug market, driven by GLP-1 RA therapies, is projected to reach USD 125.3 billion by 2033. Leaders Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk face supply and reimbursement challenges, while competitors like Roche and Pfizer develop alternatives. Manufacturing and access issues persist, with concerns over misuse and high costs.

JPMorgan highlights Viking Therapeutics and Structure Therapeutics as attractive investments in the T2D/obesity market, citing potential for strategic pharma partnerships and promising clinical trial data. Viking's VK2735 shows up to 8.2% weight loss, with Phase 3 trials expected to start in 2025. Structure's ACCG-2671 and GSBR-1290 are advancing in clinical development, targeting obesity and related diseases.

GLP-1 agonists, initially for diabetes, now spotlighted for obesity and heart health benefits. FDA approved Wegovy for cardiovascular risk reduction, based on SELECT trial showing 20% drop in major adverse events. Dandelion Health study suggests GLP-1s may prevent cardiovascular disease in 44M at-risk Americans. Ongoing research explores GLP-1s' broader health impacts beyond weight loss.

GLP-1R drugs achieved $37.2 billion sales in 2023, with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly dominating. Over 300 GLP-1Rs are in development, promising $48.5 billion sales by 2030. Emerging biotechs Viking Therapeutics, Altimmune, and Structure Therapeutics aim to disrupt the market, potentially reducing the giants' share to 78%.

Altimmune's pemvidutide and Structure Therapeutics' GSBR-1290, both in Phase II for obesity and related conditions, are forecasted to generate over $1bn each by 2030. Emerging biotechs aim to challenge the GLP-1RA market dominance of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, signaling a lucrative sector shift.

2024 saw significant medical advances: GLP-1 drugs expanded beyond obesity to treat heart conditions and arthritis; a new HIV prevention drug, lenacapavir, showed high efficacy; 50 new medicines were FDA approved, including treatments for schizophrenia and muscular dystrophy; cancer treatments like Enhertu and Tagrisso advanced; and innovations like CAR-T therapy and pig organ transplants progressed.