JPM 2024: Merck Seeks New Immunology Deals, Lilly and Novo Nordisk Double Down on Obesity Therapeutics
MSD
Pharmaceutical R&D and Manufacturer
This week, the 42nd J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM) is in full swing. MNCs, Biotechs, CXOs, investment institutions, and industrial parks are presenting cutting-edge advancements and promoting their services. MNCs, positioned at the top of the industry chain, announce their strategic directions, while Biotechs showcase their core competencies to gain favor from the former. The Insight database stays ahead of industry trends, offering you a brief interpretation of key highlights from this significant industry event.
ComeSelf：JPMorgan Official Website
JPM is a major conference where global biopharmaceutical companies look to the future and announce their latest R&D layouts and strategies. This article will provide a corresponding introduction focusing on business development (BD) insights.
BD Matters
In recent years, with the emergence and popularization of technological innovations such as the Internet, big data, and artificial intelligence, biopharmaceutical companies are continuously breaking new ground in drug research and development.「Double TenSetLaw」。BD Matters Concerning Large-ScalePharmaceutical and biotech companies showcase their strategic direction in a complex market environment, highlighting its importance.
1. MSD: Seeking New Immunology Deals
MSD Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Eliav Barr said at the JPM conference event on Tuesday this week,「Hopes to strengthen its immunology product line through transactions」。According to the Insight Database pharmaceutical transaction section, in June last year, MSD completed an $10.8 billion immunology deal., acquiring immunology development company Prometheus as its subsidiary. This shows that MSD continues to pay attention to and value the field of immunology.
Screenshot of MSD's Transaction and Cooperation Events Database Query in the Field of Immunology
Source: Insight Database Web Version
(The following text is from the same source unless otherwise specified.)
Prometheus CorporationThe main candidate drug, tulisokibart (PRA023), is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting tumor necrosis factor-like ligand 1A (TL1A).Currently, the highest development status of tulisokibart is clinical. IIIPeriod, for moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.
2、Pfizer: Actively seeking early-stage R&D obesity therapiesTransaction Subject
This Monday, Pfizer CEO AlbDr. Albert Bourla stated at the JPM conference,「The obesity drug market is a field where Pfizer has the capability to participate and win, and the company must be involved. Pfizer is still actively seeking potential licensing deals or acquiring early-stage obesity therapies under development.」。He also stated,「The company will focus on operations and profit growth in 2024, and a series of major acquisitions have been suspended.Will mainly focus on licensing deals, which will enable it to acquire early-stage, lower-cost assets.」。
Previously, in December 23, Pfizer announced that its investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist danuglipron had met the primary endpoint in a Phase 2b trial conducted in obese adults without type 2 diabetes, showing a statistically significant change in weight from baseline, but danuglipron was associated with mild gastrointestinal side effects.「High incidence rate」Related.
Pipeline of GLP-1 Candidates Under Active Development by Companies with Headquarters in China TOP16 Distribution of R&D Institutions (Insight DatabaseScreenshot of query results viewed visually）
According toInsight database queries show that currently, companies headquartered in China have 66 active pipelines targeting obesity indications for GLP-1R, among which Huadong Medicine, Hangzhou Xianwenda, and Beijing Zhitan Biotech respectively possess 8, 4, and 4 related candidate drugs, ranking as the top three domestic enterprises in this field.
3. Eli Lilly:Competition Benefits the Obesity Field
This Tuesday,Lilly CEO Mr. David Ricks praised at the JMP conferenceNovo Nordisk's pursuit of GLP-1 in obesity, he said,「Given the huge demand, the obesity market needs more participation. I think in this case, competition may drive us to move faster, establish more indications, and truly capture insights.」。
Mr. Ricks said,「The two companies are not competing for an established market but rather leveraging their combined strength to advance the GLP-1 field, addressing other health challenges such as cardiovascular risk and sleep apnea. While Novo Nordisk is the first competitor that comes to mind for Eli Lilly, another potential threat is the growing number of large companies entering the obesity space through mergers and acquisitions.」。
4. Amgen:Hope to capture the obesity market in a unique way
This Monday,Amgen CEO Robert Bradway spoke at the JPM conference,「The company has been focusing on the disease area of obesity and hopes to try to help address the enormous global burden through differentiated, complementary approaches.」. So far, in addition to the Phase II clinical candidate drug maridebart cafraglutide (AMG133) and the oral small molecule AMG 786 currently in Phase I clinical trials, Amgen has several other candidates targeting obesity.PreclinicalCandidate drug.
Mr. Bradway said,「Maridebart cafraglutide activates the GLP-1 receptor while antagonizing the gastric inhibitory polypeptide receptor (GIP), a strategy identified by the company after researching human genetic data. Amgen hopes studies will show that combining these two interventions can provide faster and more effective weight loss and potentially better maintenance of weight loss.」。
5. Novo Nordisk: In the Obesity Field「Just starting」
On Tuesday this week, Mr. Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, CEO of Novo Nordisk, stated at the JPM conference,「In the marketSoon after the launch of the obesity treatment Wegovy, demand exceeded supply, and this inventory uncertainty will continue into 2023.For the coming year, especially for Wegovy in the U.S. market, we can significantly increase production.」。At the same time, he pointed out,「The additional production capacity in 2024 cannot be achieved all at once.This is a continuous journey of capacity building over the next few years.」。
Sales Performance of Semaglutide After Launch
ComeFrom: Insight Database Web Version
It is worth mentioning that,InScienceThe Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs of 2023 Have Been Announced,GLP-1 Tops the List.Science introduced that after GLP-1 was first discovered in diabetes and blood glucose regulation research, it was gradually understood that GLP-1 could lower blood sugar. The first GLP-1 drug, exenatide, was approved for type 2 diabetes in 2005. In 2014, liraglutide, launched by Novo Nordisk, received FDA approval in the United States for weight loss indications. In June 2021, Novo Nordisk's new product semaglutide was approved in the U.S. for weight management. GLP-1 drugs immediately began to gain popularity worldwide. Meanwhile, subsequent clinical trials showed that these drugs not only significantly reduce weight but also offer cardiovascular benefits.
Scan the QR code below, you can access the 2024 JPM Conference presentation slides from over 60 biopharmaceutical companies.
References:
1、Insight Database
2. JPM official website,News Websites of Various Industries
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