Longevity.Technology’s Post

As competition with Eli Lilly heats up, Novo Nordisk has partnered with Flaghip’s Metaphore Biotechnologies to take biomimicry approach to GLP-1s. As per the terms of the deal, Novo will hand over up to $600 million in upfront, development and commercial milestone payments, and will reimburse R&D costs. Metaphore will also be eligible for tiered royalties on annual sales of approved products that come out of the collaboration. In return, Novo will gain access to Metaphore’s proprietary MIMIC platform, which can copy the interactions between molecules, to develop multitarget investigational therapeutics that can activate the GLP-1 receptor and affect related pathways. The Metaphore deal will help Novo retain its dominance in the lucrative obesity market, particularly as its main competitor Eli Lilly closes in. Lilly leads the industry in developing an oral GLP-1 treatment, with its small molecule drug candidate orforglipron currently in Phase III. #biotech #biopharma #biomimicry #obesity #GLP1 #weightloss #Wegovy

Versant Ventures has unveiled Helicore Biopharma, an innovative company, led by President and CEO Gerrit Klaerner, Ph.D., focusing on obesity treatments, with a $65 million Series A financing. #Biotech #Biopharma #ObesityTreatment #VersantVentures #HelicoreBiopharma #GIPAntibody #HealthcareInnovation #LifeSciences #DrugDevelopment #Pharmaceuticals #BiotechFunding #ClinicalTrials #MedicalResearch

Gene&Cell Therapy >> Roche cuts two more TIGIT trials, eyes accelerated timeline for obesity drugs: A year into Roche’s comprehensive portfolio review, the Swiss pharma said it has now taken out 25% of new drug candidates from its pipeline. The ongoing exercise will create room for it to keep bringing in innovation from outside such as the weight loss drugs from Carmot Therapeutics, CEO Thomas Schinecker said. Among the programs dropped in the second quarter are two trials involving its TIGIT drug tiragolumab, in light of a recent Phase 3 failure. The cuts, alongside new programs being added to the pipeline, are part of a refined R&D strategy that Schinecker’s top team has been rolling out. While Roche has yet to unveil its finalized pharma strategy — it plans to do so at its Pharma Day in September — execs said they have begun communicating it within the organization and implementing it in day-to-day decision making. That includes the introduction of “the bar,” which Schinecker described as five criteria that potential medicine needs to meet in order to stay in the portfolio, and “fast track” status for key, high-priority programs. “This prioritization process has happened, basically, since Q2 last year, where we reviewed the entire portfolio,” he said at a media conference. “I would say this is now routine, and it’s something that we need to continuously do.” Despite shifting “a lot of money” around, Schinecker offered a “very clear statement” that “there will be no announcement of any big restructuring.” “We don’t believe in making huge cuts in our organization, because we want our team to be focused and diligent on developing medicines, and any such distraction would not be something that we would want in the organization,” he said. Fast-tracking obesity development Obesity has come into the spotlight at Roche following back-to-back readouts on candidates from Carmot, which it acquired last year for $2.7 billion. They include an oral GLP-1 and a once-weekly injectable GLP-1/GIP agonist. Like other companies who are chasing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly in the space, Roche noted the potential for combinations with its existing portfolio — including a compound designed to counter muscle atrophy and others that could address various kidney conditions. When asked when Roche may have a commercial product on its hands, Schinecker said the hope is to “get on the market a bit earlier” than current predictions, but refrained from further details. “When it comes to timelines, we have very different timelines in mind than some people on the outside,” he said. “So this is one of the programs we’re accelerating significantly.” TIGIT trial closures In July, Roche reported that tiragolumab had flunked the SKYSCRAPER-06 trial, testing the TIGIT drug in combination with Tecentriq and chemotherapy in first-line non-small… #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy

Biotech IPO momentum continues into January as Aardvark Therapeutics and Ascentage Pharma make moves. Aardvark, a clinical-stage metabolic company, plans to go public, showcasing its lead candidate, ARD-101. This TAS2R pan-agonist targets gut-brain signaling to suppress appetite by releasing hormones like GLP-1 and cholecystokinin. Early results suggest ARD-101 may enhance appetite control alone or alongside blockbuster drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Meanwhile, Ascentage Pharma lands on #Nasdaq with a $126.4M offering. More: https://lnkd.in/gjsuyKhQ #lifescience #healthcare #obesity #IPO

Helicore Biopharma, which is developing a GIP-blocking antibody, is the fourth obesity drug developer to receive funding from Versant in recent months. #biotech

LucidQuest Strategic Insights (lqventures.com) >>> Gene&Cell Therapy >> Roche cuts two more TIGIT trials, eyes accelerated timeline for obesity drugs: A year into Roche’s comprehensive portfolio review, the Swiss pharma said it has now taken out 25% of new drug candidates from its pipeline. The ongoing exercise will create room for it to keep bringing in innovation from outside such as the weight loss drugs from Carmot Therapeutics, CEO Thomas Schinecker said. Among the programs dropped in the second quarter are two trials involving its TIGIT drug tiragolumab, in light of a recent Phase 3 failure. The cuts, alongside new programs being added to the pipeline, are part of a refined R&D strategy that Schinecker’s top team has been rolling out. While Roche has yet to unveil its finalized pharma strategy — it plans to do so at its Pharma Day in September — execs said they have begun communicating it within the organization and implementing it in day-to-day decision making. That includes the introduction of “the bar,” which Schinecker described as five criteria that potential medicine needs to meet in order to stay in the portfolio, and “fast track” status for key, high-priority programs. “This prioritization process has happened, basically, since Q2 last year, where we reviewed the entire portfolio,” he said at a media conference. “I would say this is now routine, and it’s something that we need to continuously do.” Despite shifting “a lot of money” around, Schinecker offered a “very clear statement” that “there will be no announcement of any big restructuring.” “We don’t believe in making huge cuts in our organization, because we want our team to be focused and diligent on developing medicines, and any such distraction would not be something that we would want in the organization,” he said. Fast-tracking obesity development Obesity has come into the spotlight at Roche following back-to-back readouts on candidates from Carmot, which it acquired last year for $2.7 billion. They include an oral GLP-1 and a once-weekly injectable GLP-1/GIP agonist. Like other companies who are chasing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly in the space, Roche noted the potential for combinations with its existing portfolio — including a compound designed to counter muscle atrophy and others that could address various kidney conditions. When asked when Roche may have a commercial product on its hands, Schinecker said the hope is to “get on the market a bit earlier” than current predictions, but refrained from further details. “When it comes to timelines, we have very different timelines in mind than some people on the outside,” he said. “So this is one of the programs we’re accelerating significantly.” TIGIT trial closures In July, Roche reported that tiragolumab had flunked the SKYSCRAPER-06 trial, testing the TIGIT drug in combination with… #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy

🚀 The Golden Era of GLP-1 Drugs: What's Next? 🚀 Following our recent announcement of HT-6184 and semaglutide preclinical data, this article delves into the promising future of GLP-1 therapies in transforming obesity and metabolic health treatment. With projections indicating that the GLP-1 drug market will reach $471 billion by 2032, the next breakthrough hinges on innovative combinations. At Halia Therapeutics, we're confident that HT-6184 is the next big step in obesity treatment. By combining its anti-inflammatory properties with GLP-1 therapies, we're addressing the inflammatory and metabolic components of obesity. Discover more about the future of GLP-1 drugs here: https://lnkd.in/g37hA7Xe #ObesityTreatment #GLP1 #HT6184 #Biopharma #WeightLoss #MetabolicHealth #Inflammation #Innovation #HaliaTx

Can a pill gives us the benefits of exercise? After its #IPO, BioAge Labs has more than $200 million to find out. BioAge’s experimental drug, an oral small molecule called #azelaprag, activates a receptor to mimic the effects of exercise by increasing energy expenditure. Preclinical tests of the drug paired with Eli Lilly and Company’s weight management drug #tirzepatide, brand name #Zepbound, showed the combination achieved greater weight loss than Zepbound alone. Azelaprag and Zepbound also improved body composition and muscle function — important because GLP-1 #obesity drugs lead to the loss of muscle as well as fat. A Phase 2 trial underway is testing how the drug combination works in humans. Preliminary data are expected in the third quarter of 2025. A separate Phase 2 trial is planned to see how azelaprag works with Novo Nordisk’s #semaglutide, branded #Wegovy. Investors showed strong interest in BioAge’s plans. The biotech was able to upsize its IPO to $198 million. A concurrent private placement added $10.6 million more. https://lnkd.in/eVG5QsPt #weightloss #metabolism #metabolicdisorders #pharma #biotech $BIOA

Newly launched Bioassays!! Characterizing therapeutics for #obesity & #diabetes with the newly launched #GLP1 RA & #GIP RA #bioassays enables accelerated entry of therapeutics to market faster. Choose from - The only #Tirzepatide qualified bioassay kit (for GLP-1R) that is commercially available for evaluating drug potency in an ICH-like qualified format - Target-based GIP RA (receptor agonist) bioassay offered in the only thaw-&-use homogeneous assay format for monitoring ligand-based activation of GIP RA These bioassays are #homogeneous assays not needing cell culture & includes all optimized reagents needed to analyze cAMP accumulation mediated by GLP-1 & GIP RA activation. Check out these bioassays https://lnkd.in/gGCbtQhX

Will amylin biology drive the next big thing in Obesity? 👉 Amylin, a pancreatic hormone has a high propensity toward the formation of amyloid fibrils, which makes it challenging for drug design efforts 👉 The amylin analogue, AstraZeneca's SYMLIN (pramlintide) is commercially available for diabetes treatment for a very long time as an adjunct to insulin therapy but requires three daily injections due to its short half-life. 👉 Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema appears to be the answer to the downside of short half-life of pramlintide. CagriSema combines WEGOVY (semaglutide) with cagrilintide, a long-acting amylin analog that promotes weight loss by delaying gastric emptying and lowering blood glucose levels. Cagrilintide has induced significant weight loss when dosed alone or in combination with the GLP-1 analogue semaglutide. Novo expects first phase III data on CagriSema, on weight loss by the end of 2024 👉 Eli Lilly and Company is following in Novo Nordisk’s footsteps by pursuing a new class of weight loss drugs. Last month it announced to pay up to $1.4 billion to keep working with Key Bioscience on the potential new class of treatments also known as Long-acting dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonists (DACRAs). DACRAs aim to reduce body weight, control glucose levels and improve insulin action 👉 Other companies working in the broader amylin class and shoring up development capabilities include Viking Therapeutics, Inc., Metsera, AstraZeneca, Zealand Pharma and Gubra, among others #pharmaceuticals #biotech #obesity