Watch Our Video Summary Capturing Top Obesity News from the Last Two Weeks
From Pfizer’s $4.9 billion Metsera buyout and Roche’s push of CT-388 into late-stage trials to Lilly’s $6.5 billion scale-up of orforglipron—this week’s obesity updates are impactful. We span corporate strategy, clinical development, novel modalities, manufacturing, and more, with early-stage combination data and microbiome insights across obesity care, underscoring intensifying competition and expanding therapeutic approaches.
Top Stories Covered in This Video
💊 Pfizer buys Metsera’s next-gen obesity portfolio [1]
Key point: Pfizer agreed to acquire Metsera for $47.50/share (~$4.9B EV) plus CVR up to $22.50/share tied to combo Ph3 start and two FDA approvals (monthly GLP-1 mono and combo).
Context: Portfolio includes MET-097i (weekly/monthly GLP-1; Ph2), MET-233i (monthly amylin; Ph1; mono + combo), two oral GLP-1 RAs nearing trials, and preclinical nutrient-stimulated hormones; EASD late-breaker for MET-233i.
Implication: Signals pipeline investment and modality expansion.
🧪 Roche pushes CT-388 to late-stage obesity trials [2]
Key point: Roche advanced CT-388 (from Carmot) to late-stage, aiming to challenge Novo/Lilly and reach top-three in obesity by 2030 (endpoint not specified).
Context: Prior early-stage data indicated notable weight loss; shares rose on program momentum (numbers not detailed in source).
Implication: Signals pipeline investment and modality expansion.
🇨🇳 Innovent’s mazdutide (Xinermei) builds share in China [3]
Key point: Xinermei (mazdutide) is the third weekly GLP-1 for weight management in China after Wegovy and Mounjaro; launched in July and gaining traction.
Context: Market sizes and unit shares are opaque; article cites forecasts (e.g., RMB 600M 2025 contribution; peak RMB 3.5B by 2029) and notes Wegovy sales cadence and potential generic pressure.
Implication: May influence prescriber choice and payer reviews pending full data.
🏭 Lilly’s $6.5B API site to scale orforglipron (oral GLP-1) [4] [US • 23 Sep 2025]
Key point: Lilly plans a $6.5B API facility in Houston to manufacture small molecules, including orforglipron, which it expects to submit for obesity by year-end (regulatory region not specified).
Context: Facility expected operational within ~5 years; 615 permanent jobs and ~4,000 construction jobs; part of four new US sites.
Implication: Signals pipeline investment and modality expansion.
🧬 THRβ + GLP-1 combo: Ascletis ASC47 adds to semaglutide at day 29 [5] [Hong Kong • 22 Sep 2025]
Key point: In a 28-day US Ph1b (n=28), single-dose ASC47 + weekly 0.5 mg semaglutide showed greater relative weight-loss vs semaglutide alone (e.g., +56.2% at 30 mg; pooled +31.6%); small cohorts.
Context: Randomized, double-blind, PBO-controlled; muscle outcomes not assessed; LDL-C reductions seen at ≥30 mg; target engagement via SHBG.
Implication: May influence prescriber choice and payer reviews pending full data.
🧿 Quintuple agonist (GLP-1/GIP + pan-PPAR) shows preclinical efficacy [6]
Key point: EASD presentation describes a unimolecular GLP-1R/GIPR/PPAR-α/δ/γ “quintuple agonist” with superior weight and glycemic effects vs GLP-1:GIP or semaglutide in obese/diabetic mice.
Context: Uses lanifibranor as the pan-PPAR payload with targeted intracellular delivery; human trial timing not stated.
Implication: Signals pipeline investment and modality expansion.
🧩 Lilly halts one bimagrumab obesity study; another continues [7]
https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/lilly-terminate-obesity-trial-bimagrumab-muscle-diabetes/761105/
Key point: Lilly terminated a planned 180-patient study of bimagrumab in obesity for “strategic” reasons; a separate trial testing bimagrumab ± Zepbound continues.
Context: FDA expectations may favor endpoints showing incremental weight loss beyond GLP-1 alone; initial readout from active study targeted in 2026 (per database, not detailed here).
Implication: May influence prescriber choice and payer reviews pending full data.
🧫 COREE reports microbiome biomarkers for obesity/T2D [8]
Key point: At EHMSG (Rome), a 93-patient obesity/T2D vs 45-control analysis identified gut and oral microbiome patterns and candidate taxa biomarkers.
Context: Metagenomic stool/saliva profiling with collaborators in Italy/Korea; exploratory clinical dataset; development aims include diagnostics and therapy stratification.
Implication: Could inform practice and payer discussions; interpretation depends on study design and confounding control.
Why it matters
- Big Pharma is consolidating obesity assets (Pfizer/Metsera) while expanding manufacturing (Lilly), reinforcing long-term commitment to metabolic therapeutics.
- Competitive pressure is global: Roche’s CT-388 accelerates in the West, while Innovent’s mazdutide gains in China.
- Mechanistic diversification continues (amylin, THRβ, muscle-sparing, poly-agonists), seeking efficacy, tolerability, and composition benefits.
- Regulatory signals may push combo programs to prove incremental weight loss beyond GLP-1 benchmarks.
- Biomarker work (microbiome) aims to enable diagnostics and response prediction but remains early.
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FAQ
What exactly is Pfizer acquiring from Metsera?
A portfolio spanning MET-097i (weekly/monthly GLP-1; Ph2), MET-233i (monthly amylin; Ph1; mono + combo), two oral GLP-1 RAs near clinics, and preclinical hormone therapeutics; deal is $47.50/share plus up to $22.50/share CVR for milestones [1].
How far along is Roche’s CT-388?
The company stated CT-388 advanced to late-stage obesity trials; detailed endpoints and timelines weren’t specified in the source. Roche targets a top-three market position by 2030 [2].
Where does Innovent’s mazdutide stand versus Wegovy and Mounjaro in China?
It’s positioned as the third weekly GLP-1 for weight management post-launch in July, with forecasts indicating meaningful 2025 revenue; precise market shares are not disclosed [3].
When might orforglipron be filed?
Lilly said it expects to submit orforglipron for obesity to global regulators by the end of 2025; new Houston API capacity is intended to help scale supply post-approval [4].
What did Ascletis show with ASC47 + semaglutide?
In a small, 28-day Ph1b (n=28), the combo yielded greater relative weight-loss vs semaglutide 0.5 mg alone (dose-dependent, with LDL-C reductions at ≥30 mg); muscle outcomes were not assessed [5].
Did Lilly abandon bimagrumab?
No. One study was terminated for strategic reasons, but another trial evaluating bimagrumab with/without Zepbound continues, with endpoints aimed at weight loss and muscle preservation [7].
Entities / Keywords
Pfizer; Metsera; MET-097i (GLP-1 RA); MET-233i (amylin); oral GLP-1; Roche; CT-388 (Carmot); Innovent Biologics; mazdutide (Xinermei); Novo Nordisk (Wegovy); Eli Lilly (Zepbound/Mounjaro, orforglipron); API manufacturing; Ascletis; ASC47 (THRβ agonist); semaglutide; bimagrumab (myostatin/ActRIIB pathway); microbiome biomarkers; EHMSG; EASD; lanifibranor; pan-PPAR.
References
https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/lilly-terminate-obesity-trial-bimagrumab-muscle-diabetes/761105/