Novo Nordisk has just taken two big steps toward cementing its lead in the weight loss treatment market. Late last week, the FDA approved a new label expansion for Wegovy (semaglutide), and just before that the company released promising early trial results for its experimental weight loss pill, amycretin. Patients…

Novo Nordisk today announced it has notched another win for its GLP-1 agonist semaglutide (Ozempic), this time for reducing cardiovascular disease and slowing kidney disease in diabetic patients. The latest results from the FLOW trial suggest the drug cuts risk of death in this population by as much as 24%.  …

Roche announced today it is acquiring Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7B up front with potential milestone payments of $400M. Carmot’s R&D portfolio includes clinical stage subcutaneous and oral incretins to treat obesity, as well as a number of preclinical programs. Carmot’s lead program is a Phase-II ready, dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist…

The U.S. FDA has approved Monjauro (tirzepatide), Eli Lilly’s first-in-class type 2 diabetes drug activating both glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). “Given the challenges many patients experience in achieving their target blood sugar goals, today’s approval of Mounjaro is an important advance in the treatment of type…

Genetic research has revealed that popular weight loss medication in the form of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs) is unlikely to directly affect behavior through its impact on the cardiometabolic system. The UK Biobank study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, showed that links to mental health…

A new study has identified two distinct subtypes of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)—formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)—a fatty liver disease that can progress to cirrhosis, liver cancer, and other health complications. The disease spans from benign fat accumulation in the liver (steatosis) to its more…

Amgen’s MariTide is steadily making its way toward the booming weight loss drug market, which is estimated to be worth about $200B by 2030. Last week, the biotech announced results of a Phase II, 52-week study of MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide, formerly AMG 133).  The study included overweight or obese people…

Many people have tried dietary changes, lifestyle interventions, medications, and bariatric surgery, and other methods for managing their obesity. While they may help in the short term, the “obesogenic” metabolic memory causes many of them to put the weight back on. A recent study in Nature suggests that the epigenome…

Four years ago, Sendhil Mullainathan, Ziad Obermeyer, Niyum Gandhi, and Elliott Green began their quest to solve what they believe is the true bottleneck of using AI in healthcare—real-world data. “[Mullainathan and Obermeyer] had written a pivotal paper on AI and healthcare that focused on the inability of AI to…

The obesity drug liraglutide (Novo’s Saxenda) is safe and effective in children aged 6 to 12 years, according to results of the SCALE Kids trial. The results were presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid this week. The study was…

Eli Lilly’s blockbuster diabetes and obesity drug tirzepatide has achieved good results in a Phase III trial of the medication in adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity. The company announced that the joint glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) agonist met its two primary…

While semaglutide has been in the biopharma limelight for its impressive effects on weight loss in adults with and without type 2 diabetes, it looks like it could soon be playing second fiddle to another glucagon-like peptide 1 GLP-1 receptor agonist-based medication when it comes to weight loss. A study…

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist designed to treat type 2 diabetes, is also effective at improving cardiovascular and kidney health and reducing the risk for death in people with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, the patients randomized…

A new test from Phenomix Sciences can identify responders to semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), according to a study led by Mayo Clinic and presented at Digestive Disease Week 2024—May 18 through May 21. This test answers a key need, as semaglutide is much more effective than previous weight loss drugs.…

Early data suggest Amgen’s experimental weight-loss drug MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide) produces similar effects but is longer-lasting than current market leaders, and blockbusters, glucagon-like peptide-1 inhibitors Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). The study was published in Nature Metabolism this week. The lead authors are Murielle M. Véniant…