Danish pharmaceutical giant focused on diabetes, obesity care and bioscience
Foundayo, the oral GLP-1 weight-loss pill by Eli Lilly, has been authorised by the MHRA for weight management and type 2 diabetes. It will be available privately; NHS adoption depends on NICE evaluation. Several UK outlets report on uptake, pricing, side effects and competing pills, including Wegovy and Wegovy HD.
Lilly and Novo Nordisk have surpassed forecasts in Q2, widening the gap in the obesity-drug space. Lilly leads in the US with about 61% share; Novo raises full-year outlook but faces questions about Wegovy's growth and its pipeline. Investors are watching whether Novo can sustain momentum as competition intensifies.
Eli Lilly has posted another quarter of strong results driven by Mounjaro and Zepbound, lifting full-year guidance. Novo Nordisk trails in growth momentum as it works to regain share and assure investors of a clear long-term path. Foundayo’s launch adds a new dimension to Lilly’s portfolio.
President Trump has signed an executive order directing federal health officials to cut the federal recommended childhood vaccine list, to split the combined MMR vaccine into separate measles, mumps and rubella doses once single‑disease products are available, and to space routine immunisations across separate medical visits. Public health groups and drugmakers have said the changes lack scientific support and will increase missed vaccinations during a major U.S. measles outbreak.
Harvey Nichols has been put up for sale after successive losses and is drawing bids from Frasers Group and Next as owners seek £50m–£60m; Mike Ashley has called the chain in a "death spiral" and says a lower price will be needed. Separately, UK high street restructuring plans have won court approval while retailers use AI to trace complex apparel supply chains.
Investors have pushed new biotech winners — from Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide pill to startups tackling baldness and targeted autoimmune drugs — while market enthusiasm has cooled for some forecasts. Novo Nordisk has released a daily weight‑loss pill used by over 1.5 million people; hair‑loss startups have sent small caps soaring; India’s low‑cost GLP‑1 generics have underperformed expectations.
Anthropic has built a wet lab in the San Francisco Bay Area to accelerate biology work, confirming a shift from in silico research to real-lab experimentation. The move comes amid warnings about AI risks and a looming IPO, with leadership stressing safety while pursuing faster drug development.
Companies are reviewing coverage for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs as costs rise. Some have already trimmed benefits, while others cite long-term employee health benefits as a reason to maintain or adjust coverage. The trend could raise healthcare costs for employers and influence benefits strategies.
Novo has laid out a plan to diversify beyond Wegovy and Ozempic as it faces looming exclusivity losses. Capital Markets Day signals a push into cardiovascular, liver and blood disorders with a target to expand its pipeline, while investors question credibility and near-term milestones amid a evolving GLP-1 landscape dominated by Lilly.
Lawsuits allege GLP-1 diabetes drugs may cause nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), an eye condition that can cause permanent vision loss. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly dispute the claims as regulators review data; meanwhile trials and studies show mixed signals about risk.
Anthropic has expanded its biology lab in San Francisco and bought Coefficient Bio to explore AI-assisted biotech. Leaders say real-life lab work is essential to testing AI-driven theories, while the company faces pushback from customers and industry observers over potential competition and safety concerns.
Anthropic has expanded Claude Startup to include more startups, offering up to $45,000 in credits, a $1,000 API credit, and a free year of Claude Team for up to five seats. The initiative, announced during SF Tech Week, aims to accelerate enterprise adoption of Claude and strengthen ties with early-stage companies.
Global demand for frontline AI engineers is surging as firms invest to turn AI models into practical business tools. Salary growth and hiring activity point to a tight talent market, with major tech and consulting firms expanding forward deployed engineering teams to push AI across operations.
The Federal Trade Commission and seven states have asked a federal judge to hold ex-pharma executive Martin Shkreli in contempt for allegedly violating a 2022 lifetime ban by trading pharmaceutical stocks and discussing the industry in livestreams since his release from prison.
OpenAI will integrate Orchestra's team and tech into Rosalind, expanding life-science capabilities; Warp Sciences raises funding to automate wet-lab work and reshore drug development; Orchestra’s acquisition signals AI’s deepening role in pharma, as rivals compete for science-focused platforms.