Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA
By Maggie Fick, Bhanvi Satija and Mariam Sunny LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The long-held Wall Street expectation that the global market for obesity drugs would reach $150 billion in the next decade is looking a lot less certain with U.S. prices falling for GLP-1 treatments from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and competition heating up in the cash-pay consumer market. The fast-changing landscape, which includes the expected entry of new drugs and generic competition, has led to a recalculation of what the peak will be and when those heights may be reached, analysts and investors say. “The peak has…
Feb 2 (Reuters) – DaVita projected annual profit above estimates on Monday after reporting better-than-expected fourth-quarter results on steady demand for its kidney dialysis services, sending its shares up 13% in after-hours trading. The company, which provides dialysis services at outpatient clinics and at home for patients with chronic kidney failure, signaled renewed momentum after dealing with rising patient care and operating costs in recent quarters. The Colorado-based company now expects its 2026 adjusted profit per share to be between $13.60 and $15. Analysts were expecting it to be $12.65 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. Higher reimbursement…
By Byron Kaye SYDNEY, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Sleep-breathing device maker ResMed plans to take global a doctor education program aimed at promoting the screening of patients seeking Ozempic-style weight loss drugs for apnea, calling the GLP‑1 boom a lift, not a threat, to sales. ResMed, founded in Australia but now headquartered in California and which gains most of its revenue in the U.S, last week reported an 11% jump in second-quarter profit. Weight-loss drugs had helped sales of its devices that treat sleep apnea – a common disorder characterised by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. The S+ by…
Feb 3 (Reuters) – Amgen on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter financial results that came in ahead of Wall Street expectations, driven by a 7% increase in drug sales and a lower tax rate. The California-based biotech company’s overall quarterly revenue rose 9% from a year earlier to $9.9 billion, which beat the average analyst estimate of $9.5 billion, according to LSEG data. Adjusted earnings per share were little changed from a year earlier at $5.29, but exceeded analysts’ expectations of $4.73. For 2026, Amgen said it expects adjusted earnings per share of $21.60 to $23.00, while Wall Street is estimating $22.09…
Feb 4 (Reuters) – Boston Scientific Corp forecast modest 2026 revenue growth and profit just below Wall Street expectations on Wednesday, overshadowing a strong fourth-quarter performance and sending its shares down more than 11% in premarket trading. The medical-device maker projected 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $3.43 to $3.49, with the midpoint at $3.46 falling short of the average analyst estimate of $3.47 per share, according to LSEG data. The subdued outlook comes as the Massachusetts-based company prepares to integrate its $14.5 billion acquisition of Penumbra, announced last month. The company also expects organic revenue growth of 10% to…
Feb 4 (Reuters) – AbbVie forecast 2026 profit above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday after posting a fourth-quarter results beat, fueled by strong demand for newer immunology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq and a smaller-than-expected decline in sales of its older medicine Humira. The drugmaker has been relying on Skyrizi and Rinvoq to counter a drop in Humira sales, which have been facing competition from cheaper biosimilars, or near copies of a biological drug. Humira was once the world’s top-selling drug, with peak global sales of more than $21 billion in 2022 before it lost patent exclusivity in the U.S. Since…
Feb 4 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly forecast 2026 profit above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, betting on surging demand for its obesity drugs as the world’s most valuable drugmaker prepares to launch its oral weight-loss pill later this year. Shares of the company rose nearly 7% in premarket trading. Lilly last year became the first pharmaceutical company to hit a $1 trillion valuation, driven by the popularity of its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Zepbound, and a rapidly expanding obesity market that is shifting toward cash-pay options and telehealth channels. Lilly’s upbeat outlook stands in sharp contrast to that of rival Novo…
By Sriparna Roy and Padmanabhan Ananthan Feb 4 (Reuters) – Wall Street is hoping dental-product makers will offer a brighter 2026 outlook, but analysts say a full industry rebound may still be some time away. From Henry Schein and Invisalign maker Align Technology to Envista and Dentsply Sirona, major companies contended a choppy 2025 marked by uneven dental visits throughout the year. While there appears to be some green shoots in demand, last year’s volatility has left investors cautious, analysts said. “The general expectations are for steady messaging and better/less bad results,” Leerink analyst Michael Cherny said, noting that while…
The Wegovy pill, from Novo Nordisk. (Michael Siluk / UCG / Universal Images Group via Getty Images) · Michael Siluk Novo Nordisk said Wednesday that demand for its Wegovy pill got off to a strong start after it launched in the U.S. in early January. By Jan. 23 — less than three weeks after it became available — about 50,000 prescriptions were being filled each week, according to the drugmaker. In total, more than 170,000 people are taking the drug. Roughly 9 in 10 of those prescriptions were paid for out of pocket, rather than through insurance. Most of the…
Feb 4 (Reuters) – Cigna Corp’s Express Scripts has settled the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s claims its insulin pricing practices violated antitrust and consumer protection laws, and agreed to changes aimed at lowering costs for patients, insurers and small pharmacies, according to a copy of the settlement seen by Reuters. The Trump administration has taken aim at high drug costs, and secured agreements with pharmaceutical companies to slash prices. The settlement fits with that goal, and allows the FTC to pare down a case brought by the former Biden administration against Cigna’s Express Scripts, UnitedHealth Group Inc’s Optum unit and…