Pharma and Biotech Daily: Novo's Breakthrough Obesity Drug, Merck's Keytruda Setback, and Industry Uncertainty

Pharma and BioTech Daily

Good morning from Pharma and Biotech daily: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in Pharma and Biotech world.Novo has developed a next-generation obesity drug that has shown promising results with up to 22% weight loss in patients. This news comes after a disappointing performance from Cagrisema, which missed Novo's projection of 25% weight reduction in its phase III trial. In other news, Merck's keytruda combination therapy has failed to extend survival in phase III gastrointestinal cancer trials, indicating that the drug may be reaching its limits after numerous approvals. Aardvark Therapeutics has filed for an IPO to advance its lead candidate for obesity treatment. President Donald Trump's actions in his first week in office have caused upheaval in the biopharma industry, including a freeze on communications at major public health agencies. Additionally, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family have settled opioid lawsuits for $7.4 billion, and Biogen is planning to cut research employees. AbbVie has partnered with Neomorph for a collaboration worth up to $1.64 billion. The biopharma industry is facing uncertainty due to Trump's initial policies and decisions.