OrbiMed’s Post

📸: At the Obesity & Metabolic Innovation Forum in Boston, BioAge COO & co-founder Eric Morgen, MD joined a panel of biopharma thought leaders in a discussion of combination therapies with the GLP-1 drugs. Their wide-ranging conversion covered the coming diversification of obesity therapeutics, the value of targeting energy expenditure to complement appetite suppression mechanisms, and the future of this rapidly growing disease area. Thanks to the moderator and panelists for a fantastic discussion!

🌟 Breaking News in Obesity Treatment🌟 Viking Therapeutics, Inc. is rapidly advancing its obesity therapy. After achieving remarkable results in Phase II trials, the company is advancing its GLP-1/GIP receptor dual agonist, VK2735, into Phase III. This move brings closer a powerful new option for weight management and introduces competition to Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly 🔬 Key Highlights 🔬 Viking's decision to accelerate VK2735 is based on their Phase II data, such as: 📊9.1% at the 2.5-mg dose 📊14.7% at the 15-mg dose 📊VK2735 also showcased a strong safety profile #Biotech #ObesityTreatment #VikingTherapeutics #GLP1 #PhaseIII #Innovation #Obesity

Versant Ventures Unveils Pep2Tango Therapeutics Inc. 4 Targets for obesity…! --Pioneering tetra-receptor agonist peptides that modulate GLP-1, GIP, amylin and calcitonin receptors to provide potent, muscle-preserving weight loss-- --Entering IND-enabling studies with first-in-class obesity medicine-- https://lnkd.in/gsJ9PpRe

🚀 We’re thrilled to welcome 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 to our portfolio at NGT ! 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 is developing a novel peptide therapy for NAFLD (Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease), expected to affect over 25% of the global population by 2030! NAFLD, a condition causing a build-up of fat in the liver, can progress from liver inflammation to fibrosis and cirrhosis, increasing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. In advanced stages, it can lead to a non-curable carcinoma, with mortality rates expected to reach 40% by 2030. 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 addresses a true unmet need. 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚’s innovative dual-acting therapy targets both immune and fibrotic cells, offering a first-in-class treatment mechanism. Until March 2024, no therapies were approved for NAFLD, with the FDA only recently approving Resmetirom in 2024 for NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a type of NAFLD). 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚’s approach offers a breakthrough treatment option to improve liver health and offer hope to millions. 👉 Learn more > https://lnkd.in/dZYEywcq #LiverDisease #NAFLD #MedicalInnovation #Pharmaceutical Shmuel Klang, PhD., Prof. Rifaat Safadi, Dr. Johnny Amer, Hadasit Medical Research Services & Development

A big welcome to the team of  𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚 - Shmuel Klang, PhD., Prof. Prof. Rifaat Safadi, Dr. Johnny Amer, Hadasit Medical Research Services & Development! Hepacure is addressing a significant unmet need in NAFLD (Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease). With only one FDA-approved treatment for NASH available as of March 2024, the NAFLD market remains a vast blue ocean opportunity. 𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚’s innovative peptide therapy, featuring a completely new mechanism of action, is perfectly positioned to capitalize on this unmet need. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dek4cZAn #LiverDisease #NAFLD #MedicalInnovation #Pharmaceutical NGT

🚀 TOP 10 #Biopharma Deals of the Year! 🚀 https://lnkd.in/eBKXc5Fk The past couple of years have seen Big Pharmas whip out their wallets to place high-stakes bets in the red-hot races for antibody-drug conjugates, radiopharmaceuticals, and obesity drugs. Here are the 10 most intriguing deals that caught our attention: 💊 Bristol Myers Squibb and Karuna Therapeutics BMS acquired Karuna Therapeutics for $14 billion, betting on the schizophrenia drug KarXT which could bring in $2.8 billion in sales by 2028. 💉 Roche and Carmot Therapeutics Roche’s $2.7 billion acquisition of Carmot secures a pipeline of GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists, with CT-388 showing promising weight loss results in phase 1 trials. 🇨🇦 Novo Nordisk and Inversago Pharma Novo Nordisk acquired Inversago Pharma for up to $1.07 billion, focusing on CB1 receptor blockers for obesity, with monlunabant now in phase 2 trials. 🗣️ GSK and Bellus Health GSK’s $2 billion buyout of Bellus Health aims to lead the chronic cough market with camlipixant, competing against Merck’s gefapixant. 🧠 Biogen and Reata Pharmaceuticals Biogen’s $7.3 billion acquisition includes Skyclarys, the first approved treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia, with $1.5 billion sales potential by 2030. 🏋️ Eli Lilly and Versanis Bio Eli Lilly’s $1.92 billion deal brings in bimagrumab, tested for weight loss without muscle loss, to enhance their obesity treatment portfolio. 🔬 Novartis and Chinook Therapeutics Novartis’ $3.2 billion buyout of Chinook looks promising with atrasentan showing significant improvement in proteinuria in phase 3 trials. 💡 Roche and Telavant Roche’s $7.1 billion acquisition of Telavant aims to reset the standard of care in inflammatory bowel disease with RVT-3101. 🌟 Bristol Myers Squibb and RayzeBio BMS’s $4.1 billion purchase of RayzeBio targets the radiopharma space with RYZ101 in phase 3 trials for SSTR-positive tumors. 🧪 AstraZeneca and Fusion Pharmaceuticals AstraZeneca’s $2 billion deal with Fusion secures FPI-2265, an actinium-based PSMA-targeted radiotherapy, advancing their radiopharma manufacturing capabilities. #biotechnology #mergersandacquisitions #pharmaceuticals

BioAge Labs believed its drug Azelaprag would help preserve muscle as patients lost weight. A safety signal has led BioAge to stop a Phase 2 test, a development coming months after it raised $200M in an IPO buoyed by lofty expectations for the drug. “We made the difficult decision to discontinue the STRIDES Phase 2 study of Azelaprag because it became clear that the emerging safety profile of the current doses tested is not consistent with our goal of a best-in-class oral obesity therapy,” BioAge CEO Kristen Fortney said. “While this outcome is a significant disappointment, we remain encouraged by azelaprag’s promising preclinical and [Phase 1b] efficacy profile.” https://ow.ly/SN4E50Us4uB #obesity #weightloss $BIOA

We are proud to support Metsera as they advance the next generation of metabolic treatments.   Metsera recently announced positive topline data from its Phase 2a clinical trial of MET-097i, an ultra-long acting, fully-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist (RA). In this 12-week study, MET-097i demonstrated up to 11.3% placebo-adjusted weight loss, with no plateau observed, reinforcing its potential as a once-monthly injectable treatment. Additionally, the study confirmed a strong tolerability profile and feasibility of switching from weekly to monthly dosing.   With these results, Metsera is accelerating late-stage clinical trials, aiming to reshape obesity and metabolic disease management with innovative, long-acting peptide therapies.   Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gBRXc-Qv   #Biotechnology #MetabolicHealth #VentureCapital

June 2024 News Roundup: FDA Approvals, Major Deals, Obesity Research Advances, and More | https://lnkd.in/giAZm8bt We saw several FDA approvals in June, including primary biliary cholangitis and COPD treatments. The month was marked by significant multi-billion- and million-dollar deals across various therapeutic areas. Noteworthy advances in obesity therapeutics were made, with novel targets and clinical readouts for GLP-1 agonists and NLRP3 inhibitors. Alkermes and Takeda reported clinical readouts for OX2R agonists in narcolepsy, while an antimalarial drug demonstrated promise in improving symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Despite these advancements, key molecules also had notable clinical trial failures. Did you miss any key updates? Here's a recap of June 2024's most notable drug discovery news highlights! Article: https://lnkd.in/giAZm8bt

I found something quite interesting and promising in SixPeaks Bio's announcement! 💡 They’ve developed an innovative antibody-protein conjugate that combines their Activin receptor (IIA/B) antibody with a GLP-1 peptide. The results? Weight loss without sacrificing muscle mass! 💪 This approach targets the obesity market with a unique twist, similar to Amgen's AMG 133 🚫 Current GLP-1 treatments lead to about 40% of total weight loss being muscle mass; this could be a game-changer. By preserving muscle, SixPeaks Bio's asset might not only enhance weight loss outcomes but also address a huge unmet need in #obesity, while preserving patients' quality of life. I am definitely keeping an eye on this promising development! 📈 #ADC #breakingnews #precisionmedicine