Biotech
Study says Zepbound may lower healthcare costs; Summit and Akeso drug shows positive results in another trial in China
Today's industry news roundup: Eli Lilly's Zepbound study shows reduced medical costs for obese or overweight adults over 55; Akeso and Summit's ivonescimab shows survival benefit in a Phase III trial for advanced biliary tract cancer in China; McKesson acquires Precision Medicine Group for $2.25 billion; Haisco licenses immunology drug to newly formed Sentivera; Johnson & Johnson's Imaavy receives FDA approval for warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia; Bausch + Lomb advances dry eye drug into Phase III trials.
Today's top news roundup: Developments involving Eli Lilly, Akeso, McKesson, Haisco, Johnson & Johnson, and Bausch + Lomb that you may have missed.
A first-of-its-kind real-world study found thatEli Lilly'sweight-loss drugZepboundmay help lower overall healthcare costs for certain older adults who are overweight or obese. The study compared healthcare cost trends among adults aged 55 and older with these conditions who either received or did not receive Eli Lilly's treatment. Researchers found that consistent use of Zepbound led toreduced costsover time, partly because users had fewer hospitalizations or emergency room visits. At six months, monthly per-patient costs dropped by up to $181; after one year, the gap widened to $607. The findings were published in the journalDiabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Ilya Yuffa, Eli Lilly's executive vice president and head of global customer capabilities, said in a statement on Wednesday that the study "shows that treatment costs can be reduced and, in some cases, offset by medical savings elsewhere."— Ben Fidler
AkesoandSummit Therapeutics's bispecific antibody drugivonescimabsucceeded in another late-stage study in China. According to Akeso, trial monitors prematurely terminated a Phase III trial evaluating ivonescimab plus chemotherapy versus immunotherapy plus chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for biliary tract cancer. Akeso did not provide specific data but said the ivonescimab combination had a "clinically meaningful and statistically significant" effect on survival, while also meeting study goals related to tumor progression and response rates. Akeso called the results a "major milestone," saying they marked the first time a therapy demonstrated a survival benefit over an immunotherapy-plus-chemotherapy regimen in this treatment setting. Summit shares rose 14% in Wednesday morning trading.— Ben Fidler
McKessonagreed on Tuesday to acquirePrecision Medicine Groupfor $2.25 billion, a move that will expand the drug distribution giant's commercialization services portfolio. Precision Medicine provides clinical research and marketing support to biotech and pharmaceutical companies, with most of its supported trials focused on oncology and rare diseases. Leerink Partners analyst Michael Cherny wrote that acquiring Precision Medicine is a "logical extension and another step forward" for McKesson, but questions remain about how the two companies will "complement each other." McKesson did not disclose a specific timeline for closing the deal.— Delilah Alvarado
Beijing-basedHaisco Pharmaceuticalhas licensed one of its immunology drugs toSentivera, a newly formed biotech backed byArch Venture PartnersandPopulation Health Partners. Sentivera will pay approximately $76 million in cash and equity for most rights to the therapy and could make an additional $1.46 billion in future payments. The company described the drug as a "core immunology asset" that blocks the development and progression of type 2 inflammatory diseases and has been approved for human trials in China, though it provided no further details. According to BioPharma Dive data, this is Haisco's fourth licensing deal with a U.S. or European drugmaker since early 2025.— Ben Fidler
Johnson & Johnson'sautoimmune drugImaavyhas receivedFDAapproval for a second indication. On Monday, the FDA approved it to treat warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia, a rare disease in which antibodies mistakenly destroy red blood cells. In a pivotal trial, a significantly higher proportion of patients treated with Imaavy achieved a durable hemoglobin response compared to placebo. The approval makes Imaavy the first drug approved for the condition, which is typically managed with steroids and immunosuppressants. U.S. regulators first approved Imaavy last year for generalized myasthenia gravis, and Johnson & Johnson has touted it as a future blockbuster.— Jonathan Gardner
Bausch + Lombwill advance an experimental dry eye disease drug into Phase III trials, despite the drug missing its primary endpoint in a mid-stage study. The combination product pairs the active ingredients of Bausch'sXiidraandMiebo, aiming to address both the inflammation and tear evaporation associated with the disease. In the Phase II trial, the drug failed to beat Xiidra on a test measuring signs of dry eye disease at day 29. However, the dual-effect product showed superiority at day 15, a prespecified secondary endpoint that can support FDA approval, the company said. Bausch's planned Phase III study will test the drug's effect at day 15.— Jonathan Gardner