Lilly’s GLP-1s Mounjaro, Zepbound Push Revenue up 46% in Q4

 

Mounjaro and Zepbound combined for $11.7 billion in the fourth quarter, which beat analyst consensus of $10.6 billion.

Eli Lilly’s shares rose more than 8% pre-market as the pharma declared revenue of $19.3 billion for the fourth quarter, beating analyst consensus by more than a billion dollars.

The diabetes and weight loss juggernaut reported earnings per share of $7.54, compared to consensus of $6.91. The revenue growth was thanks to 46% growth in volume but offset slightly by a 5% decrease in lower realized prices.

Lilly’s shares reached $1,092 on Wednesday before the market opened, compared to $1,003 at close on Tuesday.

Novo Nordisk similarly reported a slight decline in revenue thanks to lower drug prices, attributing this partly to President Donald Trump’s Most Favored Nation program. Both companies appeared at the White House in November to announce deals to bring down the cost of their blockbuster weight loss therapies.

Nevertheless, Lilly’s revenue results for the fourth quarter represent 43% growth as compared the same period a year ago. U.S. revenue grew 43% to $12.9 billion thanks to a 50% increase in volume. This was offset by a 7% decrease because of prices, particularly for Mounjaro and Zepbound.

The drugs combined for $11.7 billion in the fourth quarter, which beat consensus of $10.6 billion. Lilly’s market share for incretins grew to 60.5%, Truist Securities noted.

For the full year, Mounjaro had 99% growth to $22.97 billion while Zepbound saw 175% growth to $13.54 billion.

Lilly expects top-line revenue of $80 billion to $83 billion for 2026, as compared to $77.5 billion consensus. The company will host an earnings call Wednesday at 10 AM ET.

https://www.biospace.com/business/lillys-glp-1s-mounjaro-zepbound-push-revenue-up-46-in-q4

Amgen Wants MariTide To Change Obesity Paradigm With Longer Dosing Periods

 

Amgen believes that it can transcend the expected tradeoff between convenience and efficacy, anticipating that its investigational obesity drug MariTide will continue to provide competitive weight loss even at monthly or longer schedules.

Even as more and more competitors flood the increasingly crowded obesity space, Amgen believes that its investigational antibody-peptide therapy MariTide can carve out a unique position on the market by offering a more convenient dosing schedule—without sacrificing efficacy.

“MariTide stands alone as the only therapy in late-stage development to offer the paradigm-changing prospect of strong efficacy and favorable tolerability at monthly, every other month or even every quarter dosing,” Amgen CEO Robert Bradway said during the pharma’s full year 2025 earnings call Tuesday afternoon.

Executive Vice President of R&D James Bradner doubled down on this position, when an analyst brought up that more convenient schedules could come at the cost of weaker weight loss outcomes.

“This idea of less frequent dosing being an absolute tradeoff for efficacy—we’re not certain we’ll see that,” Bradner said. Amgen has observed, he added, that a “large majority” of patients were able to maintain their weight on low doses and quarterly dosing.

MariTide is a bispecific antibody-peptide construct that activates the GLP-1 receptor while simultaneously inhibiting the GIP receptor. This mechanism of action, according to Amgen, not only induces weight loss during treatment but also lowers the likelihood of weight regain after dosing ends.

In November 2024, Phase II data for MariTide showed that the drug elicited up to 20% weight loss on average at 52 weeks in patients who were overweight or had obesity. While Amgen at the time touted these results as “robust,” analysts were less impressed.

Despite the underwhelming readout, “MariTide remains the focal point” for Amgen, Truist Securities wrote in a Tuesday note after the company’s investor call. “We view MariTide’s potential for less bi-monthly or quarterly frequent maintenance dosing as a compelling area of further differentiation.”

Additional data remained elusive during Tuesday’s presentation, and the pharma did not provide a specific timeline for when it expects to release these findings. Amgen did say on the call that it has initiated six global Phase III studies for the drug, with more planned this year.

Last year, Amgen’s total revenues surged 10% to hit $36.8 billion, driven primarily by its osteoporosis injection Prolia, which brought in more than $4.4 billion, and the cholesterol medicine Repatha, which earned over $3 billion. Fourteen products, including Tepezza, indicated for thyroid eye disease, and the leukemia drug Blincyto, achieved blockbuster status in 2025.

In 2026, Amgen forecasts revenues from $37 billion to $38.4 billion.

https://www.biospace.com/business/amgen-wants-maritide-to-change-obesity-paradigm-with-longer-dosing-periods

GSK Says No to GLP-1s, Prioritizes ‘Downstream Effects’ of Obesity

 

Instead of joining the increasingly crowded GLP-1 arena, GSK will focus its efforts downstream of obesity—a push currently anchored by its Phase III-ready FGF21 analog efimosfermin alfa for liver fibrosis.

GSK has no interest in a late entrance to the GLP-1 rush, positioning its obesity efforts on the complications of the disease rather than addressing excessive weight-gain itself.

“I think it’s going to be very crowded,” new CEO Luke Miels told reporters during a call early Wednesday morning to present the pharma’s full-year 2025 earnings. Miels conceded that the mechanism is “fascinating,” however noting that it doesn’t fit into the company’s overall pipeline strategy.

“Our focus is more on the downstream effects of obesity rather than addressing the actual obesity itself,” Miels said. “People, when they’ve been obese for a very long time, they get fatty liver and then ultimately, if things remain that way, they can get fibrosis of the liver.”

In line with this more downstream approach to the obesity market, GSK in May 2025 bought Boston Pharmaceuticals’ efimosfermin alfa, a Phase III-ready FGF21 analog being proposed for the treatment of steatotic liver conditions such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. GSK fronted $1.2 billion for this asset and promised up to $800 billion in milestones.

Miels on the call also addressed the recent layoffs at the pharma, which could affect up to 350 people across its U.K. and U.S. operations.

“It’s a high-risk business. We’re going to have programs work, we’re going to have programs fail. If something fails, it’s an opportunity cost if we leave resources there,” Miels told reporters during the call. “We need to be dynamic and we need to move resources and people to map where the opportunities are.” He didn’t specify what exactly these areas of opportunity are.

Last year, GSK made £32.667 billion, or approximately $44.85 billion, representing a 7% year-on-year increase at constant exchange rates. HIV and respiratory disease emerged as the pharma’s top-performing areas, bringing in £7.687 billion ($10.55 billion) and £7.068 billion ($9.70 billion), respectively.

Conversely, the pharma’s influenza sales tanked 24% to £303 million ($415.96 million).

Standout products include the dolutegravir franchise—spanning HIV antivirals such as Tivicay, Juluca and Dovato—which cumulatively made £5.648 billion ($7.75 billion) in 2025. The shingles shot Shingrix delivered a slight 8% uptick to bring in £3.558 ($4.88 billion), a trend that was largely driven by the 42% uptake growth in Europe. In the U.S., Shingrix suffered a 17% sales hit.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, GSK projected a 3% to 5% increase in overall turnover, with core profit jumping 7% to 9%. The pharma also reaffirmed its goal to hit more than £40 billion ($54.84 billion) in revenue by 2031.

https://www.biospace.com/business/gsk-says-no-to-glp-1s-prioritizes-downstream-effects-of-obesity

Novo Goes ‘All In’ on Wegovy Pill but Analysts Worry It’s Not Enough

 

Novo Nordisk CEO Maziar Mike Doustdar acknowledged the market pressure facing the company’s GLP-1 products but sought to assure investors that Novo has the situation under control.

Novo Nordisk is putting everything it has behind the Wegovy pill. In fact, watchers of “The Big Game” on Sunday should expect to see a message from the Danish pharma on the weight loss oral.

“We have gone all in. This has been the best launch . . . because we have really put in all the activities and the promotions that they could think of,” CEO Maziar Mike Doustdar said on a fourth quarter earnings call Wednesday.

But none of these promises seemed to assuage analysts on the call. Novo is currently enjoying market exclusivity for the Wegovy pill, which received the FDA’s nod at the end of 2025. But fierce rival Eli Lilly is closing in fast with orforglipron, having already submitted to the FDA for approval and receiving an FDA Commissioner’s voucher to speed the review process.

Doustdar acknowledged the market pressure but sought to assure investors that Novo has the situation under control.

“I would say that the last two years has taught us something very specific with the obesity market,” Doustdar said. “It has taught us that the number one criteria for a patient picking up anti-obesity medication is the magnitude of weight loss.”

And on that, the Wegovy pill has its competitor beat, Doustdar insisted. The pill has shown 16.6% weight loss plus cardiovascular benefits. The rival, orforglipron—which he did not name—achieved just 12.4%.

“If you ask pretty much any patient, and certainly ask me, which one would you rather take? 17% weight loss or 12%? I know my answer, and we have seen the answer from 170,000 [patients] coming on very quickly,” Doustdar said.

Novo is also now prepared to go for a volume play on its weight loss medications, after signing an agreement with the Trump administration in November to offer the drugs at a low price. The company released its fourth-quarter earnings results a day early on Tuesday, revealing that lower drug prices had impacted expected earnings for 2026. Novo now expects sales to decline by 5% in 2026.

“We have all acknowledged how volatile and dynamic the obesity market is with a lot of moving parts,” Doustdar said of the guidance for 2026.

CFO Karsten Munk Knudsen said it’s still early days for evaluations of how exactly volume will play into sales but the company is encouraged by the first four weeks of the pill’s launch as well as injectables sales following the reduction in price. The Wegovy injectable is now priced at $199, which has opened up the cash pay market, according to Knudsen.

“We are seeing a volume response to the lower prices,” Knudsen confirmed.

The GLP-1 products will also become available for seniors via Medicare, which Knudsen expects will have an impact in the middle of the year.

Knudsen anticipates the true volume to become clearer in 2027 after modest growth through 2026.

The lower prices could also have another effect: undercutting the compounders that have dogged Novo’s Wegovy sales. David Moore, executive VP of U.S. operations, said there hasn’t been much change so far with the $199 price. But the launch of the pill could bring patients back over to the branded product.

“We certainly expect that there could be some switching that’s coming from compounding, but it’s a little bit early to tell,” Moore said. While Novo is getting “daily feeds” of pill prescriptions, he said that doesn’t really include whether a patient has switched from a compounded product, so the company will need to do additional research on that point.

The compounders capitalized on supply challenges Novo experienced as injectable Wegovy met unprecedented demand in its early days. Doustdar said that will not happen again because the oral launch was timed carefully with the stockpiling of product.

“We have seen an incredible uptick, I would say, in the first month, and today I will reaffirm to you that we feel incredibly confident that we will be able to supply the U.S. market,” the CEO said.

https://www.biospace.com/business/novo-goes-all-in-on-wegovy-pill-but-analysts-worry-its-not-enough

Tom Homan Announces 700-Agent Drawdown As Minnesota Counties Begin Cooperating With ICE

 Border czar Tom Homan revealed moments ago at a press conference in Minneapolis that an unprecedented number of counties are now coordinating with federal authorities and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they reach the streets. As a result, Homan noted, fewer federal agents are needed in the metro area.

"We currently have an unprecedented number of [Minnesota] counties communicating with us now and allowing ICE to take custody of illegal aliens before they hit the streets," Homan said.

Homan continued, "I have announced that, effective immediately, we will draw down 700 people effective today. 700 law enforcement personnel."

At the end of last week, Homan said federal immigration officials had made "a lot of progress" with local officials in Minnesota, signaling a possible shift in enforcement tactics amid rising tensions following recent deadly shootings involving federal immigration agents.

Homan's second news conference in Minneapolis comes after he replaced Gregory Bovino as the lead of ICE operations.

He recently warned that "justice is coming" for the far-left groups funding the attacks on ICE on the ground.

Much of the chaos in Minneapolis stems from the sanctuary state not honoring ICE detainers. This forced the Trump administration to surge federal agents into the Democratic-run town to retrieve illegals. Then, far-left militant groups and nonprofits unleashed a well-coordinated pressure campaign ("Signal-Gate"), which only suggests to us that the Democrats' plan all along was in hopes of spreading revolution nationwide ahead of spring.

Well played by Homan and the Trump administration in pushing for a major de-escalation now that local counties are coordinating with federal authorities on ICE detainers.

But why were ICE detainers not being honored in the first place? It's time to rethink the sanctuary status of left-wing-controlled cities.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/tom-homan-announces-700-agent-drawdown-minnesota-counties-begin-cooperating-ice

What The Hell Happened To Don Lemon? From "Racism Is Over" To White Christian-Hating Radical

 by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

In one of his most revealing moments years ago, Don Lemon sat down with Morgan Freeman and admitted exhaustion with the race narrative. “Sometimes, I get so tired of talking about it,” Lemon said. “I wanna just go, ‘This is over. Can we move on?’”

Don Lemon once told Morgan Freeman that he was tired of talking about race because racism “is over.”

“Sometimes, I get so tired of talking about it. I wanna just go, ‘This is over. Can we move on?’”

Now Don Lemon harasses pastors and portrays church goers as white supremacists. pic.twitter.com/nROt2HvcrX

— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 2, 2026

He also once had some sage advice for black people:

pic.twitter.com/SKq9kkRd5A

— MCM (@MMike218) February 2, 2026

Today that same man harasses pastors, calls ordinary churchgoers entitled because of “WHITE SUPREMACY,” and defends mobs that storm Christian services.

Lemon’s dramatic transformation reached a new level this month when he was arrested by federal agents in connection with the anti-ICE mob that disrupted a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

The Trump DOJ is now pursuing prison time against Lemon and others involved under federal civil rights statutes protecting religious freedom.

A clear turning point came in March 2024 when Elon Musk terminated a planned partnership for The Don Lemon Show on X. Musk bluntly explained that Lemon’s approach was “just CNN, but on social media” and lacked authenticity. 

Lemon responded by calling Musk racist, claiming the billionaire was “not used to having to answer to anyone, especially someone like me who doesn’t look like him.” Musk fired back, placing Lemon in the “stupid asshole” quadrant on a personality-intelligence chart.

Instead of recalibrating toward more independent journalism, Lemon doubled down on the very identity politics he once appeared weary of.

By May 2025, Lemon was in full meltdown mode over the arrival of white South African farmers granted refugee status. He dismissed the entire situation as “this South African farmer bullshit, which is the most blatantly obvious racist shit ever,” arguing Afrikaners could not be legitimate refugees because they “own most of the land and the property.”

In September 2025, while covering Charlie Kirk’s memorial, Lemon spent hours attacking the event for displaying too much Christianity. “What we saw in that arena was not simply faith finding public expression, it was religious nationalism on full display,” he complained, claiming speakers quoting scripture were “demanding submission.”

Then came the January church storming in Minneapolis. Lemon embedded himself with the anti-ICE protesters and livestreamed as they burst into a service, forcing families and children out into freezing temperatures. When criticized, he insisted: “The whole point of it is to disrupt and make people uncomfortable.”

“It’s uncomfortable and traumatic for the people here, but that’s really… that’s what protesting is about,” Lemon further added.

He later ridiculously claimed: “I didn’t even know they were going to this church until we followed them there. We were there chronicling protests… Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism.”

Federal prosecutors disagreed. Lemon was arrested late January 2026 and charged in connection with the incident, including counts related to conspiracy against religious rights. 

He was released on his own recognizance but must appear in Minnesota federal court. The Trump administration has signaled it intends to treat this case seriously, with Deputy AG Todd Blanche stating those convicted would face prison time and vowing to properly enforce the FACE Act against attacks on religious services.

Lemon now stands as a stark example of radicalization. Once hinting at fatigue with endless race grievance, he fully embraced it—attacking white Christians, defending disruptions of worship, and raging against any immigration policy that doesn’t fit the left’s narrative.

The Trump DOJ’s willingness to hold him accountable may finally force a reckoning for Lemon and the leftist activists who believe storming churches is protected “journalism.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/what-hell-happened-don-lemon-racism-over-white-christian-hating-radical

Nuke-Sniffing Helicopter Spotted Over San Francisco Ahead Of Super Bowl

 A U.S. Department of Energy helicopter operating under the callsign "ENERGY14," used for aerial radiological detection, was spotted in the San Francisco metro area ahead of the Super Bowl this weekend.

The nuclear-sniffing helicopter, which flies with specialized sensor pods that detect gamma and neutron radiation and map radioactive plumes in real time, was observed surveying over parts of the San Francisco metro area on Monday.

Open-source intelligence accounts documented ENERGY14's flight path using Flightradar24 data. X user TheIntelFrog noted that the helicopter was "conducting low-level sweeps over the San Francisco area to obtain baseline samples before Super Bowl LX."

Another X user documented ENERGY14's radiological aerial survey of the metro area.

SF Jet Spotter snapped photos of the helicopter.

Beyond the nuke-sniffing mission, we wonder what type of layered counter-UAS threat detection is in place around Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, given the event's high profile.

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/nuke-sniffing-helicopter-spotted-over-san-francisco-ahead-super-bowl