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What’s in Today’s Brief? (February 4th Preview)
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Lilly outpaces Street: GLP-1 sales top $36B
Eli Lilly reported results and guidance that outstripped Wall Street expectations as its GLP-1 obesity franchise continued to drive revenue. The company said combined 2025 sales for Zepbound and Mounjaro exceeded $36 billion and delivered guidance that calmed investor concerns about pricing pressure. Analysts contrasted Lilly’s outlook with weaker signals from some peers, underscoring the company’s dominant commercial position in the obesity market. The report highlighted durable demand despite debates over pricing and reimbursement. Management framed the results as validation of Lilly’s launch execution and market share gains across weight-loss and diabetes indications. Investors and competitors will watch how pricing, payer reactions and new entrants shape growth into 2026.
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Pfizer’s Metsera win... Phase 3 program expands
Pfizer disclosed positive mid-stage data for PF-08653944 (Metsera origin) showing clinically meaningful, once-monthly weight loss and tolerability, and announced plans for an extensive Phase 3 program. The company is moving to higher maintenance doses in pivotal studies and expects a broad, 10-study Phase 3 plan aimed at obesity indications after its $10 billion Metsera acquisition. Pfizer executives said the Phase 2 results increase confidence but acknowledged the company will test higher doses to better compete with established GLP-1 leaders. The readouts add pressure to the obesity field as incumbents and new entrants jockey on dose, schedule and durability of weight loss.
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WHO frames obesity: GLP-1s recommended for long-term care
The World Health Organization issued its first comprehensive guidelines on obesity management, stating that long-term treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists is an appropriate option as obesity is reframed as a chronic disease. The guidance endorses use of GLP-1s within broader, sustained care plans while noting limited long-term safety data. The document signals a major policy shift that may influence national treatment frameworks and payer deliberations. WHO and JAMA commentary emphasized the need for integrated care, and the agency urged research into long-term outcomes and equitable access.
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Congress opens Medicare to MCEDs: FDA approval becomes reimbursement trigger
Congress approved language in the spending bill that makes FDA-approved multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests eligible for Medicare coverage, removing the prior requirement for USPSTF endorsement. The provision ties reimbursement to rates similar to multi-target stool DNA colorectal tests and phases in eligibility beginning in 2029 for people aged 50–65. The move addresses a long-standing industry priority and could materially expand market access for MCED developers. Exact Sciences and other diagnostics firms praised the change; commercial uptake and pricing negotiations will now be central to MCED commercialization strategies.
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10x, PharosAI build NHS cancer atlas: spatial data meets AI
10x Genomics announced PharosAI will use its Xenium spatial platform to generate multimodal cancer datasets from decades of archived NHS patient samples. The £18.9 million government-supported initiative brings together King's College London, Queen Mary University of London and several NHS trusts to link genomic, transcriptomic, imaging and spatial biology data with custom AI models through 2027. PharosAI said it will make datasets broadly available to researchers to accelerate diagnostic advances and drug discovery. Anita Grigoriadis, CEO of PharosAI, argued that fragmented data has slowed AI progress in cancer and that integrated, high-quality spatial datasets are a necessary foundation for next-generation tools.
...and 5 more selected Biotech stories in today’s full edition — or archive.
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