Category Archives: Topics

Novo Signs New CKD Development Deal with Evotec

Evotec and Novo Nordisk announced a new strategic collaboration focusing on the discovery and development of treatments targeting CKD. Recall, in August 2018, Novo and Evotec entered into an initial partnership targeting diabetes, obesity, NASH, and DKD (previous FENIX insight). Below, FENIX provides brief thoughts on the new collaboration in the context of Novo’s ziltivekimab acquisition, also for the treatment of CKD (previous FENIX insight).

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AZ to Withdraw Qtrilmet Marketing Authorization; CHMP Agenda August 17-20

The CHMP agenda for this month’s meeting (August 17-20) has been released, and it includes one notable item: Qtrilmet marketing authorization withdrawal. Of note, the August 2020 CHMP meeting agenda was just posted today despite the fact that the meeting started on August 17. Additionally, the August CHMP meeting does not include oral explanations, only written procedures. Below, FENIX provides diabetes-related highlights and insights from the August 2020 CHMP agenda.

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Lilly’s Next-gen Tirzepatide for Oral Delivery? New Lilly GIP/GLP Dual Agonist Ph1 Studies

Two new Ph1 trials for Lilly’s LY3493269 GIP/GLP dual agonist have been observed on CT.gov (NCT04515576 and NCT04498390). Interestingly, the two trials are separately evaluating subcutaneous and oral administration of LY3493269. LY3493269 is believed to be a different molecule than tirzepatide (LY3298176) since it has a different LY number. Below, FENIX provides an overview of the studies as well as thoughts on why Lilly may have had to develop a next-gen tirzepatide for oral delivery.

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Novo Invests in Upgrading Kalundborg Manufacturing Facility

Novo Nordisk announced an investment of DKK 850M (~$135M USD) into expanding its production site in Kalundborg, Denmark. According to the press release, Novo manufactures half of the world’s insulin supply and carries out the assembly and packaging of diabetes and biopharm products at this site. This most recent investment brings Novo’s 2020 Kalundborg investments to nearly $318M USD. Below FENIX provides thoughts on the manufacturing investment in the context of the potential products it could support.

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Glucagon: Dasiglucagon Bi-hormonal Closed-Loop Pivotal Trial Delayed; Zealand Q2 ’20 Earnings Update

Zealand hosted its Q2 ’20 earnings call and discussed its clinical and commercial activities, including the acceleration of US commercial operations for the potential HypoPal launch in H1 ’21 and the delay in the bi-hormonal pivotal trial initiation which is now expected in early 2021. Below, FENIX provides brief thoughts and insights from the call.

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DarioHealth Q2 ’20 Earnings Update

DarioHealth hosted its Q2 ’20 earnings call and discussed its business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) channels, recent agreements for remote patient monitoring, and its differentiation from other platforms. Of note, management indicated that they currently have ~55k active users on the diabetes platform, up from 50k in Q1 ’20. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the call.

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Former FDA Director Joins Provention Bio Board

Yesterday, Provention Bio announced the appointment of John K. Jenkins, MD (pictured below) to the company’s Board of Directors. Prior to Provention Bio, Jenkins worked at FDA for 25 years and served as Director of the Office of New Drugs for 15 years. Below, FENIX provides brief thoughts on Jenkins’s appointment.

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Medtronic to Acquire Companion Medical; Thoughts on What It Could Mean for Insulin Delivery

Medtronic announced plans to acquire privately-held Companion Medical and its InPen connected insulin pen platform. According to the press release, the acquisition is expected to close within the next 1-2 months, and terms were undisclosed. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the Companion Medical acquisition, Medtronic’s first under new President Sean Salmon, and additional insight into possible strategy changes that could affect other insulin delivery stakeholders (e.g. Novo Nordisk, Lilly, Sanofi, Dexcom, Tandem, Insulet, Beta Bionics, and especially Bigfoot+Abbott).

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Ascensia Takes Over WW Eversense CGM Distribution; Xeris and Senseonics Q2 ’20 Earnings Update; Precigen ActoBio Announces Positive Topline Results for T1DM Modulator

Four diabetes-related news items have been observed: Ascensia announced a strategic partnership with Senseonics for world-wide commercialization and distribution of the Eversense implantable CGM; Senseonics hosted its Q2 ’20 earnings call (press release), Xeris hosted its Q2 ’20 earnings call (press release), and Precigen ActoBio announced positive topline results from its Ph1b study of AG019 for the treatment of early-onset T1DM. Below, FENIX provides highlights of the respective news items, including thoughts on the curious partnership between Ascensia and Senseonics in the context of the existing partnerships between Senseonics/Roche and Ascensia/POCTech.

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Novo Q2 ’20 Roadshow; Provention Bio Q2 ’20 Earnings Update; Senseonics Eversense Covered by Highmark

Novo Nordisk hosted its post-Q2 ’20 earnings roadshow event (see previous FENIX insight on Q2 ’20 Novo earnings from August 6). Additionally, Provention Bio hosted its Q2 ’20 earnings call yesterday (press release), and Senseonics announced a positive coverage decision for its implantable CGM from Highmark. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the respective news item and earnings calls.

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