Latest news with #UBT251
Jordan News
03-07-2025
- Health
- Jordan News
China Develops New Anti-Obesity Drugs with Added Benefits for Heart, Liver, and Diabetes - Jordan News
China Develops New Anti-Obesity Drugs with Added Benefits for Heart, Liver, and Diabetes According to Nature magazine, Chinese scientists are currently developing a new generation of anti-obesity medications that not only promote weight loss but also improve heart and liver health, while aiding in the management of type 2 diabetes. اضافة اعلان In a recent study, researchers tested a new drug called Ecnoglutide, which demonstrated significant effects: individuals with obesity lost an average of 13.8 kilograms over a period of 48 weeks, and reduced more than 5% of their body mass. Scientists explained that Ecnoglutide mimics the action of the GLP-1 hormone, which regulates appetite and blood sugar levels. Unlike existing medications such as Semaglutide, the new drug targets different molecular pathways, which may not only enhance weight loss but also help maintain the results after treatment ends. Clinical trials also showed improvements in indicators linked to cardiovascular disease risk and fatty liver disease. In parallel, Chinese pharmaceutical companies are testing new formulations of weight-loss medications that offer additional benefits for the heart and liver. These include bi-weekly injections and oral medications, with some drugs combining the effects of three hormones to target fat and sugar metabolism, as well as liver function. One such medication is UBT251, which has been approved for international marketing by pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. Researchers emphasize that the development of these drugs is no coincidence. Obesity and diabetes are among the most pressing health issues in China and India, and these new medications may pave the way for targeted treatments that take into account the unique metabolic profiles of Asian populations and the comorbidities associated with obesity in the region. —
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk Just Improved Its Weight-Management Pipeline: Is the Stock a Buy?
Novo Nordisk has been actively pursuing licensing deals over the past six months. These have helped the company improve its pipeline in its most important area. There are other good reasons to consider investing in Novo Nordisk right now. 10 stocks we like better than Novo Nordisk › It wasn't so long ago that Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), a Denmark-based pharmaceutical company, seemed to be firing on all cylinders. However, the past year has been challenging for the drugmaker. One reason behind its poor performance over the trailing-12-month period is that it has encountered clinical setbacks. CagriSema, an investigational weight loss medicine, performed well in phase 3 studies, but not quite as well as management had promised. Elsewhere, Novo Nordisk's biggest rival in this area, Eli Lilly, has registered significant clinical wins that arguably put it ahead in this fast-growing market. Still, Novo Nordisk hasn't said its last word yet. The company has recently made significant moves to strengthen its anti-obesity pipeline. Should investors buy the stock following these developments? On June 11, Deep Apple Therapeutics, a privately held biotech company, announced a licensing deal with Novo Nordisk. The former will utilize its proprietary platform, which leverages a virtual library powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to identify promising compounds rapidly. Deep Apple will aim to optimize novel compounds for obesity and other related diseases, and will receive up to $812 million, including an up-front payment and milestones for clinical and regulatory achievements. While it's too early to celebrate this deal -- it's still brand-new and hasn't led to any significant wins yet -- it's worth pointing out that Novo Nordisk has penned several such agreements since the CagriSema setback. One of the more promising of these agreements was with United Biotechnology, a subsidiary of the China-based company United Laboratories International Holdings. Novo Nordisk dished out an up-front payment of $200 million (not to mention potential milestone payments of up to $1.8 billion) to acquire UBT251, a triple agonist -- that is, a medicine that mimics the action of three separate gut hormones: GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon. Eli Lilly's Zepbound is the first and only approved dual GLP-1/GIP agonist, and Lilly is also working on its own triple agonist. So, with this acquisition, Novo Nordisk is trying to catch up to its longtime competitor. This move, along with others, has helped expand Novo Nordisk's weight-management pipeline. Could that help the stock bounce back? In my view, Novo Nordisk's stock is attractive regardless of its recent shopping spree. Here's one reason. Its forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 19.6 at this writing, while the average for the healthcare industry is 16.2. Though that means Novo Nordisk is trading at a premium compared to its peers, its financial results justify that difference. In the first quarter, the company's net sales jumped 19% year over year to 78.1 billion Danish kroner ($12.1 billion), while its earnings per share rose by 15% to 6.53 DKK ($1). Revenue and earnings growth in that range is above what's considered "good" for a pharmaceutical company, especially one of this size. Perhaps Novo Nordisk was due for a sell-off -- its forward P/E looked extremely high a year ago. However, at current levels, shares now appear far more attractive, given the company's strong financial results. And when we take into account its pipeline and the recent deals it's made, Novo Nordisk looks even more promising -- the weight-management market is on an incredible growth path. Other than Eli Lilly, no company should seriously challenge Novo Nordisk anytime soon. In addition to its licensing deals, the Denmark-based drugmaker has promising, internally developed candidates. Novo Nordisk has just announced that it will start phase 3 studies for amycretin, an investigational weight loss product with both oral and subcutaneous formulations; this product delivered encouraging results in early-stage studies. Meanwhile, the company asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve an oral formulation of semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy). In addition to its core area of expertise, Novo Nordisk has made a point of developing medicines in other fields, and has several promising candidates across various diseases. For all these reasons the stock looks like a buy at current levels, despite the challenges the company has faced in the past year. Before you buy stock in Novo Nordisk, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Novo Nordisk wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $660,821!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $886,880!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 791% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 174% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Novo Nordisk Just Improved Its Weight-Management Pipeline: Is the Stock a Buy? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk's $2B deal for obesity drug a strategic game-changer for US pharmaceutical market
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk — best known for its blockbuster weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy — has signed a $2 billion deal to acquire the global rights to an experimental obesity treatment from China's United Bio-Technology (Hengqin) Co. The March 24 agreement includes milestone payments of up to $1.8 billion, plus tiered royalties. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Americans with upside-down car loans owe more money than ever before — and drivers can't keep up. Here are 3 ways to cut your monthly costs ASAP The new drug in question, UBT251, is a next-generation therapy designed to tackle obesity and type 2 diabetes by targeting three key hormones including, GLP-1 and GIP — which regulate appetite and blood sugar — and glucagon, which helps stabilize blood sugar levels. Roughly 15.5 million U.S. adults have already used injectables for weight loss, according to Gallup. With access to weight-loss medications still limited by patchy insurance coverage, UBT251 may face the same barriers, even as it promises new possibilities. Here's what this deal means for Americans looking for alternate treatments for their diabetes or chronic obesity. In the past, Senator Bernie Sanders has criticized Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) for charging American patients far more than their international peers for the same medications. However, CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen has blamed the U.S. health care system's bureaucracy and markups for the high prices. But now, Novo Nordisk has changed its pricing model with the launch of NovoCare Pharmacy — a direct-to-patient service offering all doses of Wegovy at $499 per month for patients paying cash. This strategy was designed for those without insurance or whose plans don't cover weight-loss drugs. Ozempic's insurance coverage dropped 22% from 2024 to 2025, according to GoodRx, leading to 1.1 million Americans having no access to these medications. "If only certain patient populations get access to these medications — those primarily with private insurance, more generous health plans — then there's a huge percentage of the U.S. population that isn't getting access to these medications," lead author Christopher Scannell told Axios. When Novo unveiled its latest retail gambit, Wall Street raised a glass as the stock also surged nearly 4%. However, it remains unclear — in a system rife with co-pays and corporate contracts — whether this will translate into improved access or affordability for American consumers. Read more: Are you rich enough to join the top 1%? Here's the net worth you need to rank among America's wealthiest — plus 2 ways to build that first-class portfolio Despite the excitement surrounding NovoCare, the company's U.S. strategy has faced some ups and downs. Since last summer, Novo Nordisk's stock has dropped by nearly 50% — reflecting investor concerns about pricing pressure, increased competition and lingering supply chain issues. Last year, the overwhelming demand for Ozempic and Wegovy led to widespread shortages in the U.S., prompting regulators to allow compounding pharmacies to replicate the drugs — often at a lower cost. That shift disrupted the market and Novo Nordisk responded with a renewed push for its own branded products. NovoCare is part of that strategy. "Novo Nordisk continues to advance solutions for patients that improve affordability and access to our medicines, whether they have insurance or not,' said Dave Moore, President of Novo Nordisk Inc. But with insurance coverage for weight-loss drugs still limited and ongoing questions about affordability, it's too early to tell whether this latest deal — and the rollout of UBT251 — will meaningfully lower costs or intensify market competition. For now, Novo Nordisk seems determined to dominate the playing field — but the question remains: will everyday Americans be able to afford to join the game? Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Protect your retirement savings with these 5 essential money moves — most of which you can complete in just minutes This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk strikes $1bn deal for Lexicon's oral obesity drug
Novo Nordisk has signed a deal worth up to $1bn with Lexicon Pharmaceuticals for the exclusive global rights to LX9851, an experimental oral treatment for obesity and related metabolic disorders. Under the agreement, Lexicon will complete certain preclinical activities before Novo Nordisk takes over development, manufacturing, and commercialisation. Lexicon will receive $75m in upfront and near-term milestone payments, with the potential to earn up to $1bn in total, including development, regulatory, and sales-based milestones. Following the announcement, Lexicon's stock has soared by 85%, from a market close of $0.35 yesterday (27 March) to a market open of $0.65 today. Novo Nordisk's stock has remained stable on the news. LX9851 targets Acyl-CoA Synthetase 5 (ACSL5), an enzyme involved in fat metabolism and energy balance. Preclinical data presented at Obesity Week in Texas, US in November 2024 suggested that combining LX9851 with Novo Nordisk's flagship drug semaglutide, marketed as Ozempic in type 2 diabetes and Wegovy in obesity, led to greater weight loss and reductions in food intake and fat mass compared to semaglutide alone. The data also indicates that LX9851 could help prevent weight regain after stopping semaglutide treatment. In the announcement accompanying the deal, Novo Nordisk's diabetes, obesity and MASH therapeutic areas senior vice president Jacob Sten Petersen said: 'We are pleased to enter this agreement with Lexicon as it will allow us to explore a novel biology and potential treatment paradigm further.' The deal comes as Novo Nordisk moves to strengthen its position in the obesity treatment market, which is projected to reach $206.5bn by 2031, according to a report on GlobalData's Pharma Intelligence Center. The Danish pharma giant has dominated the space with its blockbuster glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) Wegovy but faces increasing competition from Eli Lilly's Zepbound (tirzepatide) due to Zepbound's slightly better efficacy. Zepbound is forecast to make $28.2bn by 2031 while Wegovy is slated to see sales of $26bn, according to analysis by GlobalData. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. There has been an increasing demand for weight-loss treatments, especially oral candidates that would be easier to administer. In January 2025, UK-based Verdiva Bio launched with $410m and a pipeline of next-generation oral and injectable therapies. Novo Nordisk has been actively expanding its obesity and metabolic disease pipeline. The Lexicon agreement follows the company's $2bn acquisition of a 'triple-G' injectable obesity drug UBT251 from China-based United Laboratories earlier this week (25 March). UBT251 generated positive data in a randomised Phase Ib trial in China. 36 patients that received a subcutaneous 6mg dose of the drug over 12 weeks, reported an average weight loss of 15.1%. In January 2025, Novo Nordisk also invested $50m upfront in Variant Bio to explore genetic targets for obesity and metabolic diseases. In March, Novo Nordisk signed a deal with AI-driven protein design company Gensaic to develop tissue-targeted therapies for cardiometabolic diseases. "Novo Nordisk strikes $1bn deal for Lexicon's oral obesity drug" was originally created and published by Pharmaceutical Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk Strikes $2B Deal for Obesity Drug
Novo Nordisk has signed an exclusive global licensing deal worth up to $2 billion for UBT251, a weight-loss drug developed by China-based The United Laboratories International Holdings Limited. UBT251 has been approved for U.S. clinical trials for adult type 2 diabetes, overweight or obesity, and chronic kidney disease. The announcement came as Novo Nordisk announced it was expanding its offer for cash-paying patients to access to its Wegovy (semaglutide) injection 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg at local pharmacies for $499 per Nordisk (NVO) has signed an exclusive global licensing deal worth up to $2 billion for UBT251, a weight-loss drug developed by China-based The United Laboratories International Holdings Limited. U.S.-listed shares of Novo Nordisk, which produces obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, are falling more than 2% in premarket trading Monday. Novo Nordisk will pay an up front $200 million, potential milestone payments of up to $1.8 billion, and also tiered royalties, the Danish drug developer said in a joint statement with the Chinese firm. The licensing deal does not include Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, or Taiwan, according to Monday's news release. The companies said UBT251 has been approved for clinical trials in China in adult type 2 diabetes, overweight or obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, and chronic kidney diseases. It has been approved for U.S. clinical trials for adult type 2 diabetes, overweight or obesity, and chronic kidney disease, according to the companies. The announcement came as Novo Nordisk announced it was expanding its offer for cash-paying patients to access to its Wegovy (semaglutide) injection 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg at local pharmacies for $499 per month. Previously, the $499-per month offer was only open to patients at its NovoCare Pharmacy. Read the original article on Investopedia Sign in to access your portfolio
