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Ozempic competitors, psychedelic stocks, and Moderna after COVID: Pharma news roundup

Ozempic competitors, psychedelic stocks, and Moderna after COVID: Pharma news roundup

Plus, Pfizer says its lung cancer drug has blockbuster potential, and an FDA committee rejects MDMA for PTSD

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Image for article titled Ozempic competitors, psychedelic stocks, and Moderna after COVID: Pharma news roundup
Graphic: Images: Bloomberg / Contributor, SOPA Images / Contributor, Sarah Silbiger / Stringer, Dado Ruvic

Zealand Pharma and Structure Therapeutics both announced new clinical trial results for their experimental weight loss drugs. The stock of several psychedelic medicines companies fell on Wednesday after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee did not recommend the use of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Moderna announced that it received FDA approval for its RSV vaccine.

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Check out those stories and more pharmaceutical news highlights from this week.

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Previous trials demonstrated that survodutide users lose nearly 15% of their weight in 46 weeks.
Previous trials demonstrated that survodutide users lose nearly 15% of their weight in 46 weeks.
Image: Bloomberg / Contributor (Getty Images)

Zealand Pharma’s stock initially jumped 7% on Thursday after results from a phase 2 clinical trial of its experimental weight loss drug leaked. The leaked abstract revealed previously unreported data on how survodutide helped decrease liver fibrosis (scarring) without worsening a fatty liver condition known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

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The FDA has until August to decide whether to approve the experimental treatment.
The FDA has until August to decide whether to approve the experimental treatment.
Image: SOPA Images / Contributor (Getty Images)

The stocks of several companies working to develop psychedelic medicines to treat mental disorders fell on Wednesday, a day after a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee decided not to recommend the use of MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Read More

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The FDA advisory committee meeting took place until 5:30 pm on Tuesday.
The FDA advisory committee meeting took place until 5:30 pm on Tuesday.
Image: Sarah Silbiger / Stringer (Getty Images)

The Food and Drug Administration decided to not recommend the use of the party drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on Tuesday. 

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Moderna logo
Moderna is initiating phase 3 trials for the use of its cancer vaccine with Keytruda for patients with melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer.
Image: Dado Ruvic (Reuters)

Moderna stock jumped nearly 4% on Tuesday after the the company announced positive data from an early-phase clinical trial testing the combined use of an experimental cancer vaccine with Merck’s cancer drug Keytruda on patients with late-stage melanoma. 

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One study found that about 67% of patients taking Structure Therapeutics’s pill lost over 6% of their weight and about 33% lost over 10% of their weight.
One study found that about 67% of patients taking Structure Therapeutics’s pill lost over 6% of their weight and about 33% lost over 10% of their weight.
Image: Trevor Williams (Getty Images)

Structure Therapeutics stock jumped 65% to $56 per share on Monday after the biopharmaceutical company released promising clinical trial results for its experimental weight loss pills. It’s the latest development in the race among several pharmaceutical companies to introduce new weight loss drug alternatives to the current market leaders Wegovy, Zepbound, and Ozempic. 

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FDA sign
The FDA’s Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee will make its recommendation on Tuesday on whether the agency should approve the use of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD.
Image: Andrew Kelly (Reuters)

An FDA advisory panel met Tuesday to offer a recommendation on whether to approve Lykos Therapeutics’ new drug application to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly. 

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Moderna logo
The FDA just approved Moderna’s second-ever product.
Image: Dado Ruvic (Reuters)

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Moderna’s mRNA-based respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for people 60 and older. The approval paves the way for the pharma giant, known for its COVID-19 vaccine, to launch its second-ever product. 

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About 61% patients taking Lorbrena had no disease progression after five years, according to new trial data.
Image: Johanna Geron (Reuters)

Pharma giant Pfizer said that its lung cancer drug Lorbrena could reach blockbuster status by 2030 after new data showed the drug helped patients survive five years without their cancer getting worse. 

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