Healthcare & Life Sciences News & Trends Recap: July Week 1

Healthcare & Life Sciences News & Trends Recap: July Week 1

Healthcare & Life Sciences News & Trends Recap: July Week 1

1. Trends

i. Obesity, Diabetes Drugs to Rank Top in 2030’s List, Evaluate Forecasts

Obesity drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are expected to dominate the list of top-selling drugs by 2030. Products like Mounjaro, Zepbound, Ozempic, Wegovy, and CagriSema are projected to generate over $100 billion in combined sales. This shift reflects a broader trend where obesity and diabetes medications are surpassing oncology drugs in sales growth. The 2024 Evaluate report highlights a more predictable market environment, contrasting with last year’s uncertainty. By 2030, global prescription drug sales are anticipated to reach $1.7 trillion, driven by these obesity drugs and other major products like Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent and AbbVie’s Skyrizi. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are expected to rise to the top two spots among drugmakers.

Read Evaluate’s full report about the drug market.

 

ii. Clinical Trial Trends: Shift Towards China, Longer Enrollment

The IQVIA Institute’s report highlights a significant shift in global clinical trial geography over the past five years, with China’s share of world trials increasing by nearly 60% and Europe’s seeing declines. Western Europe still leads with 25% of global trials, though it slowed down 21% from 2019. Eastern Europe’s share fell 33%, now at 11%. North America’s share grew 17%, now representing 23% of the total. China’s share, though still small at 15%, has surpassed Eastern Europe, driven by early-stage trials in cancer and cell and gene therapy. Additionally, the duration of trial enrolment periods has increased, with phase 1 enrollment periods being about 39% longer than in 2019. This trend is most notable in oncology, neurology, and cardiovascular trials.

Read the full article about global clinical trial trends.

 

2. Business Moves

i. Korean CDMO Lotte Constructs Manufacturing Plant

Korean CDMO newcomer Lotte Biologics initiated construction on a large manufacturing facility at the Songdo Bio Campus in Incheon, South Korea. The project is part of Lotte’s strategy to become a top 10 global CDMO by 2030, and it involves a 4.6 trillion won investment for three production plants and auxiliary buildings spanning 202,285.2 square metres. The facility, expected to create 37,000 jobs, will have a total production capacity of 360,000 litres. Lotte aims to complete the three plants by 2025, 2027, and 2030, respectively. This expansion follows Lotte’s acquisition of a Bristol Myers Squibb facility in New York to enhance its North American operations.

Read the full article about Lotte’s production plant in Korea.

 

ii. Novo Nordisk to Produce Insulin Packaging in Indonesia

Novo Nordisk, known for its popular GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is partnering with Indonesia’s state-owned pharmaceutical firm Bio Farma to improve insulin packaging. This collaboration, under a memorandum of understanding, leverages Novo’s expertise in diabetes care and insulin manufacturing alongside Bio Farma’s local facilities. Although financial details were not disclosed, the deal focuses on packaging rather than direct production in Indonesia. While insulin remains crucial, its role as a major sales driver has diminished with the advent of new GLP-1 medications.

Read the full article about Novo Nordisk and Bio Farma’s collaboration.

 

3. People Moves: Sirius, Ogilvy, Eli Lilly and Pfizer

Sirius: Sirius Therapeutics appointed Dr Patrick Yue as Chief Medical Officer. Dr Yue is a seasoned pharmaceutical executive with extensive experience in clinical development, particularly in the anti-coagulant therapeutic area. He previously held leadership roles at Centessa Pharmaceuticals and Global Blood Therapeutics, where he contributed to the development and approval of products such as ANDEXXA® and OXBRYTA®.

Ogilvy: Ogilvy Health appointed Sofia Beccarelli as associate planning director for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region to support key clients with marketing transformations. Beccarelli will focus on growing Ogilvy Health’s client portfolio and enhancing healthcare communications both strategically and creatively. Her background includes roles at Publicis LifeBrands, Langland, and Ward6, with notable achievements such as winning a Bronze Cannes Lion for a Johnson & Johnson campaign. This hiring follows Ogilvy Health’s recent momentum in the APAC region. The announcement comes alongside other high-profile hires in the US, indicating a broader strategy to adapt to changes in the healthcare environment and bolster its leadership team.

Eli Lilly: Eli Lilly appointed Gordon Brooks as interim CFO starting July 15. The move follows Anat Ashkenazi’s departure. Brooks has close to 30 years of experience at Lilly and has held various finance roles, including regional CFO positions and CFO of the Bio-Medicines unit. Ashkenazi will remain until the end of July to ensure a smooth transition before moving to her new role as CFO at Alphabet, Google’s parent company, on July 31. At Alphabet, she will replace Ruth Porat.

Pfizer: Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer’s chief scientific officer for 15 years, will leave the company when a successor is found. Dolsten, who joined Pfizer during its merger with Wyeth in 2009, played a pivotal role in reshaping Pfizer’s R&D organisation to be more agile and innovative. Under his leadership, Pfizer developed Comirnaty, the COVID-19 vaccine that saved millions of lives during the pandemic and generated substantial sales. Dolsten’s future plans remain undisclosed, but he may follow the common path from Big Pharma to a venture capital firm.

Read the full Chinese article about Sirius Therapeutics’ CMO from Centessa.

Read the full article about Ogilvy Health’s APAC associate planning director.

Read the full article about the Brooks’s appointment as interim CFO.

Read the full article about Mikael Dolsten’s departure from Pfizer.

 

Gain More Market Insights with JC

Contact our life sciences recruitment consultants for further insights:

Our team brings extensive experience in HR and business consultancy across global markets. Beyond specialising in healthcare and life sciences executive search, we also have dedicated teams for various other sectors, including:

Leverage our cross-sector experience and global connections to propel your success today.

For employers: To discuss support across various job functions, arrange a call with our executive search firms in Singapore and China today.

Image Sources:

  • Nordic Life Science News
  • Reuters