Biocon CY Q3 ’18 (FY Q2 ’19) Earnings Update
Biocon hosted its CY Q3 ’19 (FY Q2 ’19) earnings call and briefly discussed its insulin pipeline including bs-glargine, bs-aspart, and oral insulin tregopil. Below are highlights from the call.
Biocon hosted its CY Q3 ’19 (FY Q2 ’19) earnings call and briefly discussed its insulin pipeline including bs-glargine, bs-aspart, and oral insulin tregopil. Below are highlights from the call.
Novo Nordisk is partnering with Flex to help scale Novo’s diabetes connected care solutions. Interestingly, the press release also disclosed that Flex has already been working with Novo “to help design and manufacture elements of Novo Nordisk’s new connected insulin pens.” According to the press release, Novo has chosen to utilize Flex’s off-the-shelf solution called BrightInsight, which will allow Novo to integrate its apps, connected devices, and algorithms. Below, FENIX provides insight into why Novo’s connected care strategy made a partnership with Flex a necessity despite Novo already having a partnership with Glooko.
With the start of the 2018 EASD conference, Novo Nordisk announced upcoming plans to launch two connected reusable pens (NovoPen 6 and NovoPen Echo) in addition to digital health partnerships with Dexcom, Roche, and Glooko. According to the press release, Novo plans to initiate the launch of its connected pens in Q1 2019. Importantly, Novo also disclosed intentions to launch connected disposable pens “later in 2019.” Below, FENIX provides thoughts on Novo’s connected pens and new partnerships.
FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) issued a letter to MannKind claiming misleading/false advertising for Afrezza Facebook posts. According to the letter, on February 9 and March 19, 2018, MannKind posted advertisements on Facebook that made “false or misleading claims and/or representations about the risks associated with Afrezza by suggesting that there are no safety concerns associated with the use of the drug.” The Facebook posts have since been deleted. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the warning letter including any potential impact to the Afrezza brand.
J&J hosted its Q3 ’18 earnings call but only briefly discussed the Invokana franchise. Senior management did not comment on the CANVAS/R review which is anticipated this month. Recall, in July 2018, J&J announced FDA extended the CANVAS/R sNDA review by 3 months. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the CANVAS review as well as potential read-through from Lilly’s Ph2b dual agonist results to J&J’s dual agonist, JNJ-64565111.
Novo Nordisk announced Ludovic Helfgott (pictured below), current global head of AZ’s CV, renal, and metabolism (CVRM), is joining Novo as the Executive VP of Biopharm. According to the press release, Helfgott will join Novo effective April 3, 2019 at which point Jesper Brandgaard, current head of Novo Biopharm and well-known former CFO, will retire. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on Helfgott’s appointment and potential future impact to Novo as well as an analysis of how the Biopharm position could help Helfgott’s career.
Today at the 2018 ISPAD congress, Novo Nordisk presented data from Onset 7, the first study evaluating Fiasp (faster-acting insulin aspart) in pediatric/adolescent patients. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the ultra-rapid-acting (uRAI) market, the use of these agents in pediatric T1DM patients, and Onset 7 in the context of Fiasp’s post-approval pediatric commitment.
JDRF, ADA, and the Helmsley charitable trust awarded a grant for a study evaluating the variability of insulin potency in US pharmacies. Additionally, Tidepool recently announced a program to support the DIY Loop automated insulin-delivery project through an FDA-regulated manner. Below, FENIX provides a brief overview and thoughts on each new project, including Tidepool’s potential motivation.
ADA and EASD have updated their T2DM consensus guidelines (journal publication) with notable changes to the framework of the treatment algorithm (pictured below). Now, the algorithm takes a patient-centric approach and suggests a stepwise methodology based on the highest priority for the patient (ASCVD, CKD, hypoglycemia minimization, weight loss, and cost). Importantly, the guidelines recommend the use of GLP-1RA over insulin as the first injectable therapy as well as other in-class H2H drug recommendations. Below, FENIX provides a winners-and-losers analysis, highlights of the guideline updates, and how the identified knowledge gaps may be addressed.
Lilly announced positive topline results from two Ph3 studies (PRONTO-T1D and PRONTO-T2D) for its ultra rapid-acting insulin lispro (URLi). According to the press release, URLi demonstrated non-inferiority in A1C to Humalog along with significant improvements in PPG. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on URLi implications to the overall ultra rapid-acting insulin market.