Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. There is nothing like being greeted with clear blue skies and cool breezes upon waking up today on the Pharmalot campus. Birds are chirping, squirrels are scavenging, official mascots are barking. And we are similarly engaged in early-in-the-day rituals of our own — firing up the trusty coffee kettle for another cup of stimulation. Once again, we are reaching for pistachio creme, a tasty treat. Please feel free to join us. While you consider the invite, here are a few tidbits for you to peruse as you begin the day ahead, which we hope is successful. Best of luck, and do stay in touch. Postcards and telegrams are still accepted. …
Structure Therapeutics disclosed that its experimental oral obesity drug helped reduce weight by 6.2% on average in a mid-stage study, exceeding Wall Street expectations and sending its shares up about 32%, Reuters writes. The drug developer is vying for a share of the global obesity treatment market that is estimated to be worth about $150 billion by the early 2030s. The current market leaders, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, are injectable drugs. The two companies are also developing oral treatments for weight loss. The Structure drug’s 6.2% weight loss, when adjusted for placebo rates, beat expectations of between 5% and 6% at the end of 12 weeks of treatment.
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel meets today to discuss a therapy based on the psychedelic drug MDMA for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, STAT notes. MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy or molly, is the first Schedule I psychedelic to be considered by the FDA — meaning that, if it’s approved, it would no longer meet the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Schedule I definition of having “no medical benefit.” This follows a decades-long push by advocates who say drugs like MDMA can treat mental health disorders and have therapeutic applications beyond their illicit use. Follow the meeting on the live STAT blog here.
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