{"id":39813,"date":"2025-05-17T11:35:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-17T11:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/17\/eli-lilly-pulls-ahead-of-novo-in-obesity-drug-gold-rush-as-new-players-crowd-in\/"},"modified":"2025-05-17T11:35:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-17T11:35:15","slug":"eli-lilly-pulls-ahead-of-novo-in-obesity-drug-gold-rush-as-new-players-crowd-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/17\/eli-lilly-pulls-ahead-of-novo-in-obesity-drug-gold-rush-as-new-players-crowd-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Eli Lilly pulls ahead of Novo in obesity drug gold rush as new players crowd in"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The global weight-loss drug market, once dominated by Novo Nordisk, is undergoing a dramatic transformation. <\/p>\n

On Friday, the Danish pharmaceutical giant announced it would replace its long-serving chief executive<\/a>, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, as the company faces mounting pressure from rivals<\/a> and a sharp slide in its stock value. <\/p>\n

Novo\u2019s shares have fallen 50% over the past year, a stunning reversal for the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, two of the most recognisable names in obesity and diabetes care.<\/p>\n

Analysts expect the weight-loss drug market to expand significantly in the next decade, potentially reaching $100 billion globally. <\/p>\n

Jorgensen\u2019s ouster signals deeper turmoil at the heart of the fast-evolving market, where GLP-1 drugs\u2014once seen as miracle treatments\u2014are now facing stiffer competition and growing scrutiny from insurers and policymakers.<\/p>\n

Eli Lilly\u2019s rise reshapes market leadership<\/h2>\n

The most formidable challenger has emerged in the form of US-based Eli Lilly, whose GLP-1 injection Zepbound has steadily gained market share against Novo’s Wegovy. <\/p>\n

Lilly\u2019s latest clinical data has only solidified its momentum. <\/p>\n

A recent late-stage trial showed that orforglipron, the company\u2019s experimental pill, helped diabetes patients lose nearly 8% of their body weight in 40 weeks\u2014beating Ozempic\u2019s performance in a similar cohort.<\/p>\n

Lilly also boasts retatrutide, a weekly injection that delivered 24.2% weight loss in a mid-stage trial, one of the strongest results in the sector so far.<\/p>\n

The company expects to seek approval for orforglipron by year-end and continues to invest aggressively, including a recent deal with Chinese biotech Laekna to develop a muscle-preserving obesity drug.<\/p>\n

Novo races to catch up with next-generation drugs<\/h2>\n

To reclaim lost ground, Novo Nordisk is banking on new treatments. <\/p>\n

It is developing amycretin in both pill and injectable form. <\/p>\n

Early trial data suggest significant weight-loss potential, with the injectable version helping patients lose 22% of their body weight in 36 weeks. <\/p>\n

The company is also pushing forward with CagriSema, though late-stage trial results have underwhelmed, falling short of internal benchmarks.<\/p>\n

Novo hopes to submit CagriSema for regulatory approval in early 2026. <\/p>\n

It has also broadened its pipeline through partnerships, including a $2 billion licensing agreement with United Laboratories for a triple-hormone targeting obesity drug.<\/p>\n

<\/figure>\n

Source:<\/a> The Economist<\/em><\/p>\n

Roche, Amgen also join the bandwagon<\/h2>\n

Lilly and Novo are no longer alone in the race. A host of major pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms are piling into the obesity space, lured by the multibillion-dollar market opportunity.<\/p>\n

Pfizer recently dropped out after safety concerns in a trial involving danuglipron, its oral GLP-1 candidate. <\/p>\n

But others are forging ahead. Roche has made big bets, acquiring Zealand Pharma\u2019s petrelintide and Carmot Therapeutics\u2019 CT-388, both GLP-1-based drugs, for a combined $8 billion. <\/p>\n

Early data on Carmot\u2019s second candidate also appears promising.<\/p>\n

Amgen\u2019s MariTide, an experimental drug that led to 20% weight loss in a mid-stage trial, is set to begin late-stage studies by mid-year. <\/p>\n

Analysts note that the drug\u2019s side effects may be more pronounced than competitors\u2019, but its efficacy places it among the front-runners.<\/p>\n

Merck, AstraZeneca, smaller firms also seek a slice of the market<\/h2>\n

Pharma giants traditionally absent from obesity treatments are now seeking a slice of the market. <\/p>\n

In December, Merck struck a $2 billion licensing deal for a GLP-1 pill developed by Hansoh Pharma. <\/p>\n

AstraZeneca\u2019s licensed candidate AZD5004 has cleared early safety hurdles and is in mid-stage trials.<\/p>\n

Smaller firms are also showing potential. Altimmune\u2019s pemvidutide posted a 15.6% average weight loss in trials, although with notable gastrointestinal side effects. <\/p>\n

Viking Therapeutics reported nearly 15% weight loss in 13 weeks with its injectable VK2735, and Zealand Pharma\u2019s petrelintide posted 8.6% average weight loss in an early study.<\/p>\n

Structure Therapeutics, meanwhile, has shown modest success with its oral candidate GPCR, delivering 6.2% weight loss over 12 weeks. <\/p>\n

While not as potent as rivals, the convenience of an oral drug remains attractive to patients and investors alike.<\/p>\n

Access remains an issue<\/h2>\n

Despite scientific advancements, access to these drugs remains a critical issue. <\/p>\n

Employers are struggling with rising health coverage costs, leading many to exclude weight-loss drugs from their insurance plans. <\/p>\n

Medicare still does not reimburse for obesity treatments in most cases.<\/p>\n

A Biden administration plan to expand coverage was recently struck down by the Trump administration, leaving most patients to pay out of pocket. At an average of $500 per month, affordability remains a barrier for millions.<\/p>\n

The post Eli Lilly pulls ahead of Novo in obesity drug gold rush as new players crowd in<\/a> appeared first on Invezz<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The global weight-loss drug market, once dominated by Novo Nordisk, is undergoing a dramatic transformation. On Friday, the Danish pharmaceutical giant announced it would replace its long-serving chief executive, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, as the company faces mounting pressure from rivals and a sharp slide in its stock value. Novo\u2019s shares have fallen 50% over the <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39814,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-39813","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-investing"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39813"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39813\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quickassetsmarket.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}