Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and refreshing, because that oh-so familiar routine of online meetings, phone calls, and deadlines has predictably returned. But you knew this would happen, yes? After all, the world, such as it is, somehow keeps spinning. So time to nudge it in a better direction with a fresh cup of stimulation. Our choice today is cinnamon sticky bun. As always, you are invited to join us. Meanwhile, here are a few tidbits to get you started on your journey today, which we hope goes swimmingly. And of course, do keep in touch. …
The booming obesity market is attracting another player, as Roche plans to acquire Carmot Therapeutics and the company’s line of weight loss drug candidates for $2.7 billion upfront, STAT writes. As part of the deal, which includes additional milestone payments of up to $400 million, Roche is gaining three experimental obesity medicines that are in Phase 1 or Phase 2 testing, as well as preclinical programs. While two are injectable treatments, one is being developed as an oral drug. They all target GLP-1 hor-mone receptors, while two are also designed to work via receptors for another hormone called GIP.
Novo Nordisk paid U.S. medical professionals at least $25.8 million over a decade in fees and expenses related to its weight-loss drugs, a Reuters analysis found. And the company concentrated that money on an elite group of obesity specialists who advocate giving its powerful and expensive drugs to tens of millions of Americans. That total includes only payments that Novo reported it made specifically related to Wegovy and Saxenda, which is also used for weight loss. Sometimes, the company paid far more to obesity specialists without naming any drug in OpenPayments, a U.S. government database to which drug companies are required to disclose payments to physicians.