Merck and Pfizer Q1 ’19 Earnings Updates
Merck and Pfizer hosted their respective Q1 ’19 earnings calls. Both companies only briefly discussed their diabetes-related businesses. Below, FENIX provides highlights from the calls.
Merck and Pfizer hosted their respective Q1 ’19 earnings calls. Both companies only briefly discussed their diabetes-related businesses. Below, FENIX provides highlights from the calls.
Lilly hosted its Q1 ’19 earnings call and provided updates to its diabetes business. Of note, Lilly disclosed that it submitted REWIND (US and EU), URLi (EU, Japan, and maybe the US), a connected prefilled pen (US), and the empa+lina+metXR triple combination (US). Furthermore, Lilly also disclosed two regulatory delays. FDA refused to accept the sNDA for Jardiance in T1DM for “technical reasons,” and the review for Lilly’s nasal glucagon rescue product was extended by 3 months after FDA requested additional data. Below, FENIX provides thoughts and context to the significant Q1 ’19 regulatory events in diabetes.
Yesterday, Novo Nordisk presented results from the Victoza T2DM pediatric trial (ELLIPSE) at the Pediatric Endocrine Society/Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting. Importantly, the results were published in the NEJM, which may be a testament to the growing attention on childhood T2DM/obesity. Additionally, Novo disclosed that it has submitted the data to US and EU regulators, although it did not specify the timing. Below, FENIX provides an overview of the ELLIPSE results – including the non-significant weight loss findings, and thoughts on the study in the context of Victoza’s impending LOE and recent settlement with Teva.
Sanofi hosted its Q1 ’19 earnings call but only briefly discussed its diabetes business including the recent sotagliflozin T1DM CRL. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the call.
AstraZeneca hosted its Q1 ’19 earnings call and provided updates to its diabetes business. Of note, senior management disclosed that its Farxiga CVOT (DECLARE) filings have been accepted by US and EU regulatory authorities with approvals projected in 2020. Additionally, AZ said its Farxiga HF study (Dapa-HF) is projected to read out ahead of schedule (now in H2 ’19; previously 2020). Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the Q1 ’19 earnings call.
A CT.gov record for Novo’s oral semaglutide CVOT, SOUL, has been observed. Novo recently announced the simultaneous filings for oral semaglutide T2DM glycemic control, oral semaglutide CV risk reduction, and Ozempic CV risk reduction. Below, FENIX provides a comparative GLP-1RA CVOT analysis as well as key considerations for the SOUL trial.
According to Drugs@FDA, the Ozempic US label has been updated to reflect a new 3mL pen offering for a maintenance dose of 1mg. The new pen has a different NDC (0169-4130-13) and dials 4 doses of 1mg each. The new pen represents a total strength of 4 mg/3 mL and harmonizes the maximum pen strength offered in Europe. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on this new pen offering including potential reasons around manufacturing efficiencies.
Sanofi is reportedly set to lay off an undisclosed number of diabetes US sales reps starting in June 2019. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the new layoffs in the context of increasing US pricing pressures on Sanofi’s insulin franchise as well as the recent sotagliflozin CRL.
In what is believed to be a first, Novo Nordisk simultaneously filed three NDAs for oral semaglutide T2DM glycemic control, oral semaglutide CV risk reduction, and Ozempic CV risk reduction. The timings for the filings, including the use of the priority review voucher (PRV) for oral semaglutide, are in line with Novo’s previous guidance (by the end of Q1 ’19). Novo’s decision to simultaneously file oral semaglutide and the Ozempic CV indication ahead of REWIND data at ADA confirms FENIX’s previous insight. Below, FENIX provides thoughts and insights into Novo’s probable reasoning behind three separate filings as a means to de-risk the submissions, insight into potential approval timings for all 3 products, and an updated REWIND filing scenario that could result in a Q4 2019 2-day FDA adcom discussing GLP-1RA CVOTs.
Novo Nordisk announced it has settled the patent dispute with Teva regarding Teva’s ANDA filing for generic Victoza. Recall, in February 2017, Teva publicly disclosed the generic Victoza filing, and Novo subsequently announced their lawsuit in March 2017. According to the press release, Novo and Teva’s settlement entitles Teva to launch generic Victoza as early as December 22, 2023 (without pediatric exclusivity) unless Novo’s Victoza patents are invalidated or another generic Victoza is launched. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the settlement with Teva as well as insight into the Victoza pediatric exclusivity extension.