Roche and Zealand Pharma have delivered a clinically positive phase 2 readout for petrelintide, their amylin-based obesity drug, but the market reaction made clear that “positive” is no longer enough in the weight-loss race. After the companies reported that patients achieved up to 10.7% mean weight loss at 42 weeks, shares in both partners fell sharply as investors questioned whether the candidate can stand out in an increasingly crowded field.
FDA approves Novo Nordisk’s first oral GLP-1 pill Wegovy for obesity, offering an injection-free option and improving long-term treatment adherence.
Danish Zealand Pharma A/S partners with Chinese start-up OTR Therapeutics Co. Ltd to expand oral obesity pipeline in US$30m upfront deal.
Lilly’s triple weight loss combination therapy retatrutide has shown 28.7% weight loss in Phase 3, but higher discontinuations vs. tirzepatide and semaglutide.
MitoRx Therapeutics Ltd has raised £5.5m in a seed financing to advance Myo‑004, a small molecule mitochondrial-targeted obesity therapy enabling fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass.
AstraZeneca plc acquires SixPeaks Bio Inc to target muscle‑preserving obesity therapies, boosting its pipeline in a US$30 bn fast-growing weight-loss market.
Semaglutide (Ozempic®) and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) not only promote weight loss but also significantly reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Real-world evidence from the Technical University of Munich and Harvard Medical School shows up to 18% lower risk of heart attack and stroke, highlighting the growing potential of GLP-1 therapies in cardiometabolic care.
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk cut US obesity drug prices under Trump’s MFN plan, offering Zepbound, Wegovy and others via Medicare, Medicaid and LillyDirect.
Danish Novo Nordisk A/S has made an unexpected takeover bid for US biotech Metsera, Inc. This challenges the already agreed acquisition by Pfizer Inc. Novo offers US$6.5bn in cash, plus up to US$2.5bn in milestone payments. The total potential value is around US$9bn. Pfizer previously offered US$4.9bn plus US$2.4bn in milestones.
Novo Nordisk is to acquire US-based Akero Therapeutics in a US$5.2 billion deal aimed at reviving growth and entering the MASH-space where others like Roche and GSK have recently expanded their footprint.
IQVIA
Momoneymoproblemz - wikimedia
MitoRx Therapeutics Ltd
stock.adobe.photos.com - gavi
Adobe stock photos - Dzmitry 
Adobe stock photos - Matthew 
Adobe stock photos - https://european-biotechnology.com/latest-news/roche-moves-obesity-asset-ct-388-into-phase-iii/
Novo Nordisk