AstraZeneca Exits Neuroscience to Focus on Obesity and Immunology

According to its latest pipeline on April 29,AstraZeneca hasTermination of the collaboration with Eli Lilly for developmentAlzheimer's Disease Candidate Antibody MEDI1814 and TreatmentDevelopment of the Monoclonal Antibody MEDI0618 for Migraine，Currently, there are no active neuroscience pipelines.

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said on a conference call: "We can't invest in all directions; the CNS field might be better managed by companies focused on that area."

“We have closed our neuro programs and identified partners for some of them,” noted Sharon Barr, executive vice president of BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca. “This represents the closure of our neuroscience group at AstraZeneca.” The move will result in “a very small number of roles being placed at risk of redundancy,” a company spokesperson told BioSpace by email.

"This prioritization will enable reinvestment into higher-value projects," Sharon Barr noted. AstraZeneca’s current focus areas include weight loss, dyslipidemia, respiratory diseases, and immunological indications. The company is actively advancing itsOral GLP-1 drugs, breast cancer candidate drug camizestrantAnd other projects.

AstraZeneca's Q1 2025 financial report shows revenue of approximately $13.6 billion, a year-on-year increase of 10%, slightly lower than the market expectation of $13.68 billion. However, earnings per share were $1.88, surpassing the expected $1.10.

Among them, the oncology business remains the strongest growth point, with total sales exceeding 5.6 billion US dollars. Star products include:

• Tagrisso(Osimertinib, EGFR inhibitor): Sales nearly $1.7 billion, up 12% year-over-year;

• Imfinzi(Durvalumab, PD-L1 inhibitor): $1.26 billion;

• Calquence(BTK Inhibitor): $762 Million;

• Lynparza(PARP inhibitors): $726 million.

In addition,Farxiga, a diabetes drug, shows strong performance, increasing by 15% year-on-year, reaching 2 billion US dollars, becoming the best-selling product in the quarter.

Conclusion

AstraZeneca's Strategic Shift: Putting the Brakes on High-Investment, Long-Cycle, High-Risk Neurological Disease R&D to Focus on Growth Areas like Weight Loss and Immunology

In recent years, "GLP-1" classWeight Loss MedicationThe intense popularity has sparked fierce competition among multinational pharmaceutical companies, with major firms entering the market to seize this super large pie.

As early asIn November 2023, AstraZeneca introduced the small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist AZD5004 (ECC5004) from the Chinese company Efficacy Biotech., obtaining global development and commercialization rights. This drug, based on the GLP-1 class of glucose-lowering and weight-loss mechanisms, offers the advantages of being orally administrable, stable, and convenient, making it an important addition to the current GLP-1 field.Recharge. CFO Aradhana Sarin emphasized that before making significant investments, the company willEvaluate the clinical performance and market potential of relevant candidate drugs for "on-demand construction and supply."

In May 2024, AstraZeneca announced an agreement with SixPeaks Bio, committing to pay $80 million for one of itsDevelopment and Commercialization Rights of Bispecific Antibodies Targeting Activin IIA and IIB Receptors. This antibody aims to achieve a new breakthrough in weight loss treatment by simultaneously reducing fat and preserving muscle mass. This strategy not only has the potential to address the issue of muscle loss caused by GLP-1 drugs but may also further expand the applicable population.

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