Phase III Study of Lilly’s Foundayo, Reaffirms Cardiovascular and Overall Safety Profile, Plus Improvements to Cardiometabolic Health
Eli Lilly announced that its oral GLP‑1 drug Foundayo (orforglipron) achieved the primary endpoint in the Phase 3 ACHIEVE‑4 trial, demonstrating non‑inferior major adverse cardiovascular event risk versus insulin glargine. The study, the largest of its kind with over 2,700 participants in 15 countries, also showed superior reductions in A1C and body weight at 52 weeks, benefits that persisted through two years. All‑cause mortality appeared lower for Foundayo, though the analysis was not multiplicity‑adjusted. Lilly intends to file an FDA application by the end of Q2 under a National Priority Review voucher.
US FDA to Convene Expert Panel to Review Wider Access to some Peptides
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it will convene an external advisory panel in July to decide whether licensed compounding pharmacies can resume manufacturing more than half a dozen peptides that were barred in 2023. The ban covered 14...
FCB Health New York Rebrands to Olixir New York
Omnicom Health announced that its award‑winning agency FCB Health New York has rebranded as Olixir New York, the first chapter of a new global brand. The change pairs the agency’s legacy of creative excellence with Omnicom’s scale, connectivity and AI‑enabled...
Teva Launches “Home Ground” Online Resource for People Living with Schizophrenia and Their Care Partners
Teva Pharmaceuticals has launched Home Ground, a free online community for people living with schizophrenia and their care partners. The platform, built with input from patients and caregivers, offers symptom‑tracking worksheets, emotional‑wellness videos, independent‑living toolkits, physical‑health checklists, and both virtual...
J&J’s First-Quarter Profit Beats Estimates Even as Stelara Sales Disappoint
Johnson & Johnson reported first‑quarter revenue of $24.1 billion, up nearly 10% year‑over‑year, and adjusted earnings of $2.70 per share, both topping analyst forecasts. Growth was propelled by strong demand for the cancer therapy Darzalex and the psoriasis drug Tremfya, which...
AbbVie Enters World of Pain in up to $715M Deal with China’s Haisco
AbbVie has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with China’s Haisco Pharmaceutical Group that could be worth up to $715 million. The deal grants AbbVie rights to a portfolio of pain‑related compounds ranging from preclinical to Phase 1 stages in China. This marks...
Q&A with Bond and Matter’s Deb Pan Dorner: Leading with Science, Creativity, and Mentorship
Deb Pan Dorner, a former Merck medicinal chemist with degrees from MIT and Johns Hopkins, co‑founded the healthcare communications agency Bond and Matter. The firm blends scientific rigor with creative storytelling, hiring scientists who want to move beyond the lab....
Pharma Firms Accelerate Regional Capacity Building to Secure GLP-1 Supply and Mitigate Geopolitical Risks
Pharma companies are reshaping supply chains by regionalizing GLP‑1 manufacturing to mitigate geopolitical risks and meet soaring demand for metabolic therapies. Eli Lilly announced a $3 billion investment in China and a ¥20 billion ($126 million) upgrade of its Kobe plant in Japan, targeting...
GSK Sees Blockbuster Potential in Targeted Cancer Therapy After Promising Early Data
GSK’s experimental targeted therapy Mo‑rez showed early signs of efficacy, shrinking tumors in a majority of patients with hard‑to‑treat cancers. In a trial, 62% of platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer patients and 67% of endometrial cancer patients achieved at least a 30%...
Amgen’s Lung Cancer Drug Tarlatamab Wins China Approval
Amgen’s bispecific antibody tarlatamab, marketed in the U.S. as Imdelltra, has received approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration. The drug is designed for adults with extensive‑stage small cell lung cancer that has progressed despite chemotherapy. Amgen will commercialize the...
McKinsey to Contribute $125 Million to Purdue Bankruptcy over Opioid Sales Advice
McKinsey & Co has agreed to contribute $125 million to Purdue Pharma’s bankruptcy settlement, ending potential lawsuits over the consulting firm’s advice to aggressively market OxyContin. The payment is part of Purdue’s broader $7.4 billion restructuring plan approved in November, which aims...
Novartis Expands Community Health Programs to Close Gaps in Heart Disease and Cancer Care, Targeting 30+ Countries by 2030
Novartis announced a major expansion of its community health initiatives, aiming to operate in more than 30 countries by 2030. The rollout includes Inclusive Health Accelerators in five U.S. cities for breast and prostate cancer, Community Health Initiatives in at...
Amazon Pharmacy to Offer Eli Lilly’s Foundayo via Same-Day Delivery
Amazon Pharmacy announced it will dispense Eli Lilly’s newly approved oral GLP‑1 drug Foundayo, a once‑daily treatment for obesity and overweight adults. Customers can order the medication with a prescription, view real‑time availability and transparent pricing, and receive same‑day delivery...
AbbVie Files Lawsuit to Address ‘Outdated’ Drug Discount Eligibility Program
AbbVie has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Health and Human Services Department seeking updated guidance on the 340B drug discount program. The company argues that current rules allow hospitals and clinics to claim discounts for patients with minimal or...
Skipping the Line: The Rise of Personal Healthcare Agents and On-Demand Care
Personal health agents such as ChatGPT Health, Claude for Healthcare, Copilot Health and Doctronic are moving from pilot projects to mainstream consumer tools, promising instant, AI‑driven medical advice. Doctronic alone has logged over 15 million AI‑mediated conversations, achieving 99.2 % treatment‑plan alignment...
