Eli Lilly and Co

16 new weight-loss drugs expected to enter the $200 billion market by 2031, challenging Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Amgen and Pfizer among companies testing treatments. New entrants could lower prices. Potential acquisitions in the obesity sector anticipated.

Up to 16 new GLP-1 drugs could launch by 2029, capturing nearly a third of a $200B market by 2031, dominated by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Competitors like Roche, Amgen, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Boehringer, Viking Therapeutics, and Structure Therapeutics may launch rival weight-loss drugs within 3-4 years. Novo Nordisk and Lilly are expected to retain 68% of weight-loss sales, but the market may see price declines of 10%-15% by 2027 due to competition.

Eli Lilly announced Phase II results for orforglipron at EASD 60th Annual Meeting, showing potential to reduce cardiovascular risk. Orforglipron, a non-peptidic GLP-1R agonist, demonstrated reductions in hsCRP, IL-6, and leptin, with impressive systolic blood pressure reduction. This positions orforglipron as a strong competitor in the obesity market.

Over 57 million insured Americans under 65 could be eligible for GLP-1 drugs like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Ozempic, according to KFF. These drugs treat Type 2 diabetes or obesity, with Wegovy also reducing heart attack risk. However, employer-sponsored health plans may impose additional eligibility conditions due to high costs. Apple introduces new health features for sleep apnea detection and hearing assistance in its latest products.

HAYA Therapeutics, a biotech company in Switzerland and San Diego, collaborates with Eli Lilly to develop weight-loss drugs targeting RNA. The partnership leverages HAYA's RNA-guided genome platform for preclinical drug discovery, aiming to create more effective and safer treatments for obesity.

Eli Lilly announced QWINT-2 trial results showing once-weekly insulin efsitora alfa reduced A1C by 1.34%, non-inferior to daily insulin degludec's 1.26%, with efsitora achieving 45 more minutes in range per day without increased hypoglycemia. The data were published in NEJM and presented at EASD 2024.

Bayer announced positive results from the phase I/II SOHO-01 study on BAY 2927088, an oral TKI for HER2-mutant NSCLC, showing a 72.1% ORR and manageable safety profile. The EU also approved Eylea 8mg for nAMD and DME, extending treatment intervals up to five months. Bayer aims to strengthen its pharma portfolio through label expansions and new drug development, despite recent stock declines.

A report by the Access to Medicine Foundation examines how 20 major pharmaceutical companies are addressing patient access in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), highlighting progress and areas needing improvement. The report identifies 42 different approaches to measuring patient reach, with 19 companies actively tracking this, but no industry-wide consensus. It calls for clearer, more actionable commitments to ensure lifesaving products reach underserved populations, emphasizing the need for collaboration and refining measurement methods to address health inequities.