The weight-loss drug competition is really heating up as Amgen (AMGN) just announced some promising early results from their new GLP-1 drug, MariTide. Despite reporting a loss of $113 million, Amgen still managed to surpass first-quarter revenue estimates, which is impressive.
Anjalee Khemlani, the Senior Health Reporter at Yahoo Finance, has been delving into this topic. She’s been discussing how the obesity drug market is becoming more competitive as pharmaceutical companies like Amgen, Novo Nordisk (NVO), and Eli Lilly (LLY) explore new medical applications for these types of drugs.
Khemlani has been referencing statements from Novo Nordisk’s CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen and Eli Lilly’s CEO Dave Ricks, which they made during interviews with Yahoo Finance over the past few months. Novo Nordisk produces Wegovy and Ozempic, while Eli Lilly manufactures Zepbound and Mounjaro.
With Amgen’s MariTide showing promise, Khemlani is highlighting a couple of key advantages it might have over its competitors. For one, Amgen claims that MariTide could potentially be administered as a monthly injection, which would give it a significant edge over drugs like Ozempic that require more frequent dosing. However, it’s important to note that more data is needed before reaching a definitive conclusion, especially as phase three trials loom ahead. Everyone’s eagerly waiting to see if MariTide can live up to its claims.
Another critical aspect Khemlani emphasizes is pricing. In the competitive GLP-1 drug class, pricing will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in determining whether Amgen can effectively compete with established market leaders.
If you’re interested in more expert insights and the latest market developments, you can watch the full episode of Catalysts for further analysis.
