AbbVie is coming into the weight problems remedy market with a $2.3bn licensing settlement to amass international rights to GUB014295, a long-acting amylin analogue developed by Danish biotech Gubra.
Introduced on 3 March, the deal marks AbbVie’s first transfer into the more and more aggressive sector. Below the settlement, AbbVie pays Gubra $350m upfront, with extra milestone funds of as much as $1.875bn. Gubra can be eligible for tiered royalties on future gross sales. Following the announcement, Gubra’s inventory rose 24% at market open on 3 March.
GUB014295 is an amylin receptor agonist that additionally targets calcitonin receptors. Amylin analogues have been investigated for his or her function in urge for food suppression and delayed gastric emptying, each of which contribute to weight reduction.
In a Section I examine (NCT06144684) carried out by Gubra, wholesome and chubby male individuals who acquired 3.5mg to 6mg of GUB014295 skilled a mean weight lack of roughly 3% over six weeks, in comparison with a 1% weight acquire within the placebo group. The asset is at the moment within the multiple-ascending dose (MAD) portion of the Section I trial.
The weight problems remedy market has change into a focus for main pharmaceutical corporations, with amylin analogues rising as a possible various or complement to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) akin to semaglutide, marketed in weight problems as Wegovy.
Nonetheless, the trail for amylin-based therapies has been blended. Novo Nordisk’s amylin/GLP-1 mixture remedy, CagriSema (semaglutide/cagrilintide), not too long ago met its major endpoint within the Section III REDEFINE 1 trial (NCT05669755) however failed to attain the corporate’s goal of 25% weight reduction, resulting in a muted investor response.
In contrast to GLP-1RAs, which stimulate insulin secretion and scale back glucagon ranges, amylin analogues work by suppressing glucagon secretion, rising satiety, and delaying gastric emptying. Denmark-based Zealand Pharma is developing its personal amylin analogue, petrelintide, as a possible best-in-class remedy for weight problems and diabetes.
Gubra has been actively concerned in weight problems analysis, beforehand collaborating with Boehringer Ingelheim on a number of programmes. In 2021, the 2 corporations signed a deal to co-develop 4 weight problems candidates, however Boehringer later discontinued the event of BI 1820237, a long-acting NPY2 agonist, with out offering particulars. One in every of their remaining property, BI 3034701, a long-acting triple agonist peptide, entered a Section I trial in July 2024. Individually, Gubra additionally signed a discovery take care of Amylyx for a long-acting GLP-1RA.
AbbVie has been one of many final main pharmaceutical corporations to enter the weight problems remedy market, which has change into a key space of curiosity for drugmakers following the industrial success of GLP-1RAs akin to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). In response to a recently published report, GlobalData estimates that the weight problems market will exceed $173.5bn by 2031 within the seven main markets (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and the US).
GlobalData is the mum or dad firm of Pharmaceutical Know-how.
