Setting the stage for a battle with rival Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY), Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) reported data this week from a late-stage trial of its oral formulation of semaglutide, a medication for people with Type II diabetes. The GLP-1 agonist is traditionally administered via injection. Both insulin-makers have approved versions of the injectable semaglutide, but Novo Nordisk is […]
Eli Lilly & Co.
Express Scripts to include Novo Nordisk’s once-weekly diabetes drug on 2018 formulary
Express Scripts, one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit managers, reportedly plans to include Novo Nordisk‘s (NYSE:NVO) once-weekly Type II diabetes, Ozempic, on its 2018 formulary. The move puts Ozempic directly in competition with Eli Lilly‘s (NYSE:LLY) once-weekly Trulicity drug. Both products will also go up against AstraZeneca‘s (NYSE:AZN) once-weekly Bydureon medication. All three drugs […]
Eli Lilly beats the Street with Q4 earnings
Shares in Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) fell slightly this morning even though the pharmaceutical company beat analysts’ estimates with its fourth quarter and full-year financial results. The Indianapolis-based company swung to a net loss in the fourth quarter, posting -$1.7 billion, or $1.85 per share, on sales of $6.2 billion for the 3 months ended Dec. 31, for […]
At confirmation hearing for Trump’s HHS nominee, drug pricing takes center-stage
Alex Azar, the president’s nominee to head the Dept. of Health & Human Services, has nearly a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry – and that experience is either predictive of his inability to act on lowering drug prices or will serve him well as HHS chief, depending on who you ask. At Azar’s […]
Study: Most commonly-prescribed diabetes drug linked to lowest rate of compliance
Patients who take the most-commonly prescribed diabetes medication, metformin, are the least likely to adhere to a prescribed regimen, according to a study published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Researchers from the University of Surrey looked at data from 1.6 million people with Type II diabetes across 48 trials and found that 30% of […]
European committee backs Novo Nordisk’s once-weekly Type II diabetes therapy
A panel of experts from the European Medicines Agency issued a positive recommendation today for Novo Nordisk‘s (NYSE:NVO) once-weekly diabetes drug, Ozempic. The committee’s recommendation will need to be endorsed by the European Commission before the insulin-maker’s product can be formally marketed in the EU. Novo Nordisk said it hopes to win final marketing authorization for […]
Companion Medical launches smart insulin pen in U.S.
Companion Medical started selling its smart insulin pen in the U.S. today, according to the San Diego, Calif.-based company. The InPen system, which combines an insulin injector pen and a smartphone app, is compatible with Eli Lilly‘s (NYSE:LLY) Humalog and Novo Nordisk‘s (NYSE:NVO) Novolog fast-acting insulin. Companion Medical’s InPen tracks insulin dosing, automatically sending data […]
Novo Nordisk’s once-weekly Type II diabetes injection wins FDA nod
Novo Nordisk‘s (NYSE:NVO) once-weekly semaglutide injection, Ozempic, has won FDA approval as a therapy for adults with Type II diabetes, the insulin-maker reported today. The injection, given in a pre-filled pen, is a GLP-1 analogue – a drug that trigger the production of insulin, while lessening appetite and food intake. The product won an unanimous […]
Lilly launches trial for automated insulin delivery system
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) yesterday dosed the first patient in a trial of its automated insulin delivery system. The system is a hybrid closed-loop platform that includes a connected insulin pump, a dosing algorithm and a continuous glucose monitor. “This trial is a significant step forward for Lilly’s Connected Care program, moving the Connected Diabetes Ecosystem closer […]
Flexion CEO: Setting Zilretta up to succeed with a history lesson
Locally acting therapies are like a religion to Flexion Therapeutics (NSDQ:FLXN) co-founder & CEO Dr. Mike Clayman, who spent decades at Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) with the company’s co-founder, Dr. Neil Bodick, watching promising compounds fail in late-stage trials on the heels of unanticipated safety results. “That’s part of the reason, not the whole reason but part of […]