Market Summary The second day of the annual healthcare event in San Francisco witnessed a significant shift in how major pharmaceutical corporations are adapting to regulatory hurdles, global supply chain changes, and the intense competition in the metabolic treatment segment.
Key highlights:
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Eli Lilly’s oral drug progression: Corporate leadership indicated that the obesity pill (orflorglipron) is expected to receive an FDA decision in the second quarter of this year. The product targets needle-hesitant patients and is crucial for international expansion due to simpler storage requirements compared to current injectable treatments.
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Novo Nordisk and direct-to-patient channels: Following a challenging 2025, the firm is focusing on optimizing revenue through direct cash-pay channels and partnerships with digital health platforms like Amazon and Weight Watchers to improve access to Wegovy.
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The rise of CDMOs: Samsung Biologics is accelerating operations at its new U.S. manufacturing site to reclaim domestic customers, while Lonza reported a surge in contracts in California driven by the trend of regionalizing supply chains to avoid import tariffs.
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Merck & Co.’s long-term vision: With over 80 phase 3 studies underway, the company anticipates reaching $70 billion in revenue by the mid-2030s, despite the upcoming patent expiration of its flagship drug, Keytruda.
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Moderna’s transition: To offset the decline in pandemic vaccine sales, the company aims to establish a five-vaccine commercial portfolio by 2027, reinvesting profits into oncology and rare disease research.
Source: https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/fierce-pharmas-jpm26-tracker-day-2