Chicago, IL – March 14, 2025 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Novo Nordisk NVO, Roche RHHBY, Pfizer PFE, Arvinas ARVN and J&J JNJ.
Here are highlights from Thursday’s Analyst Blog:
Pharma Stock Roundup: Roche, Novo & More
This week, Novo Nordisk announced disappointing data from a phase III study on a novel obesity candidate, CagriSema. Roche announced a license and collaboration deal with Denmark's Zealand Pharma to co-develop its lead obesity candidate petrelintide. Pfizer and partner Arvinas announced mixed phase III data for breast cancer therapy, vepdegestrant. J&J and partner Protagonist Therapeutics' investigational targeted oral peptide, icotrokinra met the primary endpoint of clinical response in ulcerative colitis study.
Here's a recap of the week's most important stories.
NVO's Novel Obesity Treatment Disappoints in Phase III Study
Novo Nordisk's phase III REDEFINE 2 study evaluating its next-gen subcutaneous obesity candidate, CagriSema, met its primary endpoint. CagriSema is a fixed-dose combination of a long-acting amylin analog, cagrilintide (2.4 mg) and semaglutide (2.4 mg). In the study, 61.9% of patients were given the highest dose of the drug.
Top-line data from the phase III REDEFINE 2 study showed that treatment with CagriSema led to a weight loss of 15.7% after 68 weeks compared to a reduction of 3.1% with placebo alone in people with obesity and type II diabetes. However, the weight loss of 15.7% fell short of expectations as investors were probably expecting a more pronounced weight loss outcome at 68 weeks. Shares of NVO shrank on the news. On applying the treatment policy estimand, the weight loss achieved with CagriSema was 13.7% compared with 3.4% with placebo.
Data showed that 89.7% of patients treated with CagriSema achieved a weight loss of 5% or more after 68 weeks, which was the study's co-primary endpoint.
In December, NVO's other phase III study, REDEFINE 1, showed a weight loss of 22.7% in patients treated with CagriSema, which also fell short of the expected loss of 25%.
NVO plans to file regulatory applications seeking approval for CagriSema in the first quarter of 2026.
Roche Buys Rights to Obesity Drug from Zealand Pharma
Roche announced that it has in-licensed co-development and co-commercialization rights from Denmark's Zealand Pharma for the latter's long-acting amylin analog, petrelintide. Roche plans to develop petrelintide as a monotherapy as well as a fixed-dose combination with its lead incretin candidate CT-388, a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, as a potential foundational therapy for obese and overweight people.
Petrelintide is currently being evaluated in phase IIb studies in people who are obese or overweight without type II diabetes. In clinical and pre-clinical studies, petrelintide has shown the potential to deliver weight loss comparable to GLP-1 drugs but with a better tolerability profile.
For the deal, Roche will make an upfront cash payment of $1.65 billion, with Zealand Pharma also being entitled to up to $1.2 billion in development milestones and another $2.4 billion in sales-based milestones. This brings the total deal value to around $5.3 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025.
As part of the deal, Zealand Pharma and Roche will co-commercialize petrelintide in the United States and Europe, whereas Roche will have exclusive rights to market the drug in the rest of the world.
Pfizer & ARVN's Mixed Data from Vepdegestrant Breast Cancer Study
Pfizer and Arvinas announced data from the phase III study called VERITAC-2 evaluating vepdegestrant, its investigational oral PROTAC ER degrader, in patients with ER+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The study achieved the primary endpoint by showing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival in patients whose tumors harbor ESR1 mutations. However, the study failed to show statistical significance in improvement in PFS in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population. Additional details will be shared at an upcoming medical meeting.
JNJ Icotrokinra Meets Goal in Ulcerative Colitis Study
J&J and Protagonist Therapeutics' phase IIb study evaluating key pipeline candidate icotrokinra (JNJ-2113) to treat moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) met its primary endpoint of clinical response. Data from the ANTHEM-UC study showed that all three doses of icotrokinra, a targeted oral peptide, achieved clinical remission at week 12.
For the highest dose, a clinical response rate of 63.5% and a clinical remission rate of 30.2% were achieved at week 12, which continued to improve through week 28. The study also demonstrated clinically meaningful differences versus placebo in key secondary endpoints of clinical remission, symptomatic remission and endoscopic improvement at week 12.
Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, Roche and J&J carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) each, while Arvinas is a #2 Ranked (Buy) stock. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The NYSE ARCA Pharmaceutical Index has declined 5.4% in the past five trading sessions.
Large Cap Pharmaceuticals Industry 5YR % Return
Large Cap Pharmaceuticals Industry 5YR % Return
In the last five trading sessions, all the stocks were in the red except Merck and AbbVie, which rose 0.2% each.
In the past six months, AbbVie rose the most (8.3%), while Novo Nordisk declined the most (45.4%).
(See the last pharma stock roundup here: BAYRY's Q4 Results, ABBV's Obesity Deal & More)
What's Next in the Pharma World?
Watch this space for regular pipeline and regulatory updates next week.
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