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By PharmaCompass
2026-02-05
Impressions: 1,043 Article || 181 Video || 4 Listen
In this week’s Phispers, we bring you the split story of two GLP-1 drugmakers — Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. While Lilly expects its sales to grow by 25 percent in 2026, Novo expects its sales to drop by five to 13 percent owing to pricing pressures and competition.
Lilly is also building a US$ 3.5 billion plant in Pennsylvania to manufacture weight loss drugs. It has also signed a strategic collaboration with Repertoire Immune Medicines to develop tolerizing therapies (treatments that restore the immune system’s ability to recognize self-antigens) for autoimmune disease targets.In other big news, Amgen is turning down a request from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to withdraw its rare disease drug Tavneos (avacopan) due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca is betting big on China. It plans to invest US$ 15 billion in the country through 2030 to expand manufacturing and R&D. The drugmaker also signed an up to US$ 18.5 billion obesity drug deal with China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical Group.
After the United States’ exit from the World Health Organization (WHO), democratic governors are coming forth to join WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). The New York City Health Department, California and Illinois have joined the network.
In news from clinical trials, Novo Nordisk has said its experimental next-generation weight-loss drug CagriSema (cagrilintide and semaglutide) delivered greater reductions in body weight and blood sugar than its blockbuster Wegovy (semaglutide) in a late-stage trial in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Amgen turns down FDA request to withdraw rare disease med from market
In mid-January, FDA had requested Amgen to withdraw Tavneos (avacopan) due to safety concerns. The drug had been developed by ChemoCentryx, a company that Amgen acquired for US$ 3.7 billion in October 2022.
In a statement, Amgen said Tavneos demonstrates effectiveness and a favorable benefit-risk profile. The company said it has turned down the request to pull the drug from the market.
Tavneos, approved by FDA in October 2021, is a drug that treats ANCA-associated vasculitis, a rare disease that causes inflammation in blood vessels, leading to organ damage. Tavneos needs to be given as an add-on treatment to standard therapy including glucocorticoids.
GLP-1 split story — Lilly expects 25% growth, Novo sees its sales drop in 2026
The two drugmakers in the GLP-1 drug space — Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk — posted contrasting fourth quarter results. While Lilly’s results exceeded expectations, Novo’s outlook was muted.
Lilly’s Q4 sales touched US$ 19.3 billion, 43 percent higher than Q4 2024, and above the forecast of US$ 17.9 billion. The performance was driven largely by surging demand for its tirzepatide-based drugs — Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for obesity.
Lilly is expecting a 25 percent increase in sales — from US$ 65.2 billion in 2025, it expects sales of between US$ 80 billion and US$ 83 billion in 2026.
On the other hand, Novo Nordisk, which has lost ground to rival Lilly, is expecting sales and earnings to drop by five to 13 percent in 2026. Last year, Novo generated sales growth of 10 percent and growth in operating profit of six percent at constant exchange rates, the company said.
The company attributes the lower guidance to factors such as ‘unprecedented’ price pressures, intense competition and Trump’s ‘Most Favored Nation’ pricing deal.
Novo’s CagriSema beats Wegovy: Novo Nordisk said its experimental next-generation weight-loss drug CagriSema (cagrilintide and semaglutide) delivered greater reductions in body weight and blood sugar than its blockbuster Wegovy (semaglutide) in a late-stage trial in patients with type 2 diabetes. Novo has positioned CagriSema as a successor to Wegovy and a potential rival to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound.
Lilly to build US$ 3.5 bn Pennsylvania plant for injectable weight-loss drugs
Eli Lilly said it will build a US$ 3.5 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania as part of its push to expand US production and strengthen medical supply chains. The new plant will manufacture Lilly’s injectable weight-loss medicines, including retatrutide, a next-generation drug that outperformed blockbuster Zepbound in a late-stage trial. The site is expected to begin operations in 2031.
Signs autoimmune deal with Repertoire: Eli Lilly has entered a strategic collaboration with US-based Repertoire Immune Medicines to develop tolerizing therapies for multiple undisclosed autoimmune disease targets. Under the agreement, Repertoire will receive US$ 85 million upfront and is eligible for up to US$ 1.84 billion in development and commercial milestone payments, plus tiered royalties on net sales.
Meanwhile, Lilly has discarded three clinical-stage drug candidates, including a gene therapy it had acquired through its over US$ 1 billion buyout of Prevail Therapeutics in 2020.
AstraZeneca to invest US$ 15 bn in China through 2030 for R&D, manufacturing
AstraZeneca has announced a US$ 15 billion investment in China through 2030 to expand medicines manufacturing and research and development. The company has said the plan will strengthen its capabilities in cell therapy and radioconjugates, spanning drug discovery, clinical development, and manufacturing. The investment builds on AstraZeneca’s existing China footprint. The drugmaker will establish new sites and grow its China workforce beyond 20,000.
Signs obesity drug deal with China’s CSPC: AstraZeneca will license experimental obesity and weight-related drug candidates from China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical Group, paying US$ 1.2 billion upfront and up to US$ 17.3 billion more if milestones are met. The package includes one clinical-ready and three pre-clinical candidates in CSPC’s injectable weight-management portfolio. AstraZeneca will also collaborate with CSPC on four additional new programs using CSPC’s sustained-release delivery platform and AI-driven peptide drug discovery.
NY, Illinois, California join WHO’s global outbreak response network
After President Donald Trump withdrew US from the WHO, several democratic leaders have vowed to defy Trump and join WHO’s GOARN. The New York City Health Department, Illinois and California have joined GOARN after United States’ departure from WHO. The US formally left the WHO last month. Trump had signed an executive order on his first day back in office in January 2025. And the formal exit came after a one-year waiting period.
White House delays launch of TrumpRx: The White House has delayed the launch of TrumpRx, a proposed federal marketplace that would allow patients to buy medicines directly from pharmaceutical companies. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said at a Cabinet meeting that the platform will go online “probably in the next 10 days,” according to Politico.
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