Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of deadlines, online meetings, and phone calls has predictably returned. But what can you do? The world, such as it is, continues to spin. So time to give it a nudge in a better direction by brewing cups of stimulation. Our choice today is marshmallow magic. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest to start you on your journey, which we hope is meaningful and productive. Best of luck, and do keep in touch. …
The long-held Wall Street expectation that the global market for obesity drugs would reach $150 billion in the next decade is looking a lot less certain with U.S. prices falling for GLP-1 treatments from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and competition heating up in the cash-pay consumer market, Reuters tells us. The fast-changing landscape, which includes the expected entry of new drugs and generic competition, has led to a recalculation of what the peak will be and when those heights may be reached, according to analysts and investors. Unprecedented demand for the potent new weight loss drugs targeting the GLP-1 hormone led analysts to project a market of $150 billion — or even $200 billion — by the early 2030s. But 2030 forecasts are around 30% lower at about $100 billion or so and that $150 billion target has shifted to 2035 for some.
India will invest $1.1 billion in biopharmaceutical research over the next five years as part of a broader push to scale up domestic manufacturing, signaling a renewed focus on higher-value drug development, Bloomberg News informs us. The funding will be directed toward the research and production of biologics and biosimilar medicines, with the government aiming to position the country as a global biopharma manufacturing hub, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Parliament on Sunday. The announcement marks a shift for India’s pharmaceutical industry, where companies have historically spent less on research and development than global peers, focusing instead on lower-value generics and contract manufacturing. India’s top 10 firms spend about 5.8% of their revenue on R&D annually, while their global counterparts spend 17.3%.Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…