Regeneron Aims to Overtake GLP-1 Weight-Loss Giants with Muscle-Sparing Therapy

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Industry Dynamics】Targeting the Billion-Dollar GLP-1 Weight Loss Drug Market, Some Pharmaceutical Companies Are Attempting to Overtake Competitors. Clinical data shows that after injecting drugs from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, some of the weight loss comes from the reduction of lean body mass (i.e., fat-free mass, = body weight - fat weight), including muscle. In response, U.S.-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is advancing research on a new drug experiment aimed at reducing muscle loss caused by weight loss drugs.
 

Regeneron, a company specializing in antibody therapies, is testing a drug named trevogrumab in mid-stage trials. The drug blocks a hormone that restricts muscle growth and is being used in combination with Wegovy. The first clinical data from the second phase of the trial is expected to be released by mid-next year.
 

Other data shows that Regeneron is developing 11 myostatin drugs, seven of which are being studied for obesity. In addition, Regeneron is considering whether to advance its once-a-month GLP-1 injectable, tested on mice, into the clinical trial stage. Regeneron is considering becoming a participant in the GLP-1 drug market.
 

Overall, there are still various challenges to be addressed with current GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. Notably, the development of weight-loss medications remains highly active, with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly continuing as the two leading players dominating the market.
 

Among them, Novo Nordisk is the original research company of semaglutide, which currently has three marketed semaglutide products: the antidiabetic injectable Ozempic, the oral antidiabetic Rybelsus, and the weight-loss injectable Wegovy. Their revenues were 56.7 billion Danish kroner (approximately 8.4 billion US dollars), 10.9 billion Danish kroner (approximately 1.6 billion US dollars), and 21 billion Danish kroner (approximately 3.1 billion US dollars), respectively. The total sales of semaglutide reached 88.7 billion Danish kroner (approximately 13.2 billion US dollars), representing a year-on-year increase of 43%, accounting for nearly 70% of Novo Nordisk's total revenue in the first half of this year.
 

Eli Lilly also reaped the "benefits" of weight loss drugs. The company's global revenue in the first half of the year was $20.071 billion, a year-on-year increase of 31%; net profit was $5.210 billion, a year-on-year increase of 74%. Total revenue in the diabetes and weight loss sectors was $13.0076 billion, a year-on-year increase of 42%. Among these, the revenue from tirzepatide Mounjaro for blood sugar reduction was $4.897 billion; the revenue from tirzepatide Zepbound for weight loss was $1.761 billion.
 

Overseas, the competition for GLP-1 drugs is not only fierce in terms of R&D but also increasingly "cutthroat" in areas such as production capacity and indications. For example, regarding production capacity, on June 24 local time, Novo Nordisk proudly announced that the company would invest $4.1 billion to expand its manufacturing capacity in the United States. Specifically, the company plans to build a second filling and finishing manufacturing plant in Clayton, North Carolina, to enhance its ability to produce semaglutide-related drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. Novo Nordisk also stated that the $4.1 billion facility has already begun construction, covering a total area of 26 acres, with an additional 1.4 million square feet of production space for sterile manufacturing and final product production processes, and the construction will be gradually completed between 2027 and 2029. In May this year, Eli Lilly also announced that it would spend $5.3 billion to expand its plant in Indiana to increase the output of key active ingredients for weight loss and diabetes treatment drugs, "tirzepatide."
 

Developing more indications for GLP-1 drugs has also become a means for multinational leaders to compete for market share in the weight-loss drug space. Previously, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy received U.S. FDA approval for its new indication — reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight. In addition, Novo Nordisk is exploring the potential of its GLP-1 product liraglutide in the field of Alzheimer’s disease treatment, but its related clinical trials did not meet the primary endpoint.
 

In China, as Novo Nordisk's compound patent for semaglutide is set to expire in 2026, domestic pharmaceutical companies are accelerating the development of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. Companies entering the market include Hanyu Pharmaceutical, Hengrui Medicine, Innovent Biologics, and Zhongsheng Pharmaceutical.
 

Disclaimer: In no event shall the information or opinions expressed in this article constitute investment advice to any person.