Roche's weight loss pill, Ozempic boosts protein sales, J&J's cancer drug

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Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly stock slipped Thursday after Swiss pharma giant Roche posted positive results for its experimental weight loss pill CT-996. Sales of Johnson and Johnson’s blockbuster cancer drug Darzalex soared 18% year over year to $2.87 billion in the second quarter, helping the pharma giant outperform Wall Street expectations. And according to a new industry report by the investment bank William Blair, millennials and GLP-1 drug user are boosting sales of high-protein food and beverage products.

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

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A new weight loss pill has Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly shares falling

Roche acquired CT-996 when it bought Carmot Therapeutics in January for $2.7 billion.

Shares of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly took a hit after Swiss pharma giant Roche posted positive results for its experimental weight loss pill.

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Johnson & Johnson’s cancer drug Darzalex could replace Stelara as its best-seller

Johnson & Johnson’s sales reached $22.4 billion in the second quarter of 2024.

Surging sales of Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster cancer drug Darzalex offset declining sales of some of the pharma giant’s other drugs, helping the company beat Wall Street expectations.

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The next big thing in the weight loss drug boom has little to do with losing weight

Morgan Stanley analysts anticipate the global market for GLP-1 drugs will reach $105 billion by 2030.

The next big thing in weight loss drugs isn’t weight loss. Wall Street Journal pharma reporter Peter Loftus made the case on Monday that the next wave of GLP-1 drug sales will be driven by the discovery of new medical uses for these slimming treatments.

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Millennials and weight loss drugs are fueling customers’ growing obsession with protein

Online search interest for the term “high protein” reached a five-year high in 2023.

Millennials and people on GLP-1 weight loss drugs driving up sales of high-protein packaged food and beverage products, according to a new industry report by the investment bank William Blair.

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Ozempic and other weight loss drugs pose new risks for surgery, Europe warns

GLP-1 drugs are a class of diabetes and weight loss drugs that mimics a hormone that regulates blood sugar and suppresses appetite.

People taking weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound should tell their doctors ahead of a scheduled surgery, the European Medicines Agency warned on Friday.

A new weight loss pill, Ozempic boosts protein sales, J&J's cancer drug: Pharma news roundup

Plus, the next big thing in the weight loss drug boom has little to do with losing weight