Healthy returns: A major deal to boost Novo Nordisk’s manufacturing is one step closer to closing

Novo Nordisk It is one step closer to significantly improving supply for its blockbuster weight-loss drug Vigovi and diabetes treatment Ozempic.

The parent company of the Danish drug maker was acquired by Novo Holdings. approval by European antitrust regulators last week to go ahead with it A $16.5 billion takeover proposal of U.S.-based drugmaker Catalyst — a deal that has raised concerns among both rival drugmakers and lawmakers.

That leaves the U.S. Federal Trade Commission as the final hurdle Novo Holdings needs to clear to cement the massive deal, which it announced in February. Novo Holdings and Novo Nordisk said they expect the transaction to close at the end of the month.

Catalent is an attractive buyout target for Novo Holdings, which owns 77% of the voting shares in Novo Nordisk.

The deal could increase drug availability as Catalent is the main supplier of full-finish work, which includes filling and packaging syringes and injection pens for Vigovi and Ozempic. Novo Holdings will immediately sell the three Catalent sites to Novo Nordisk for $11 billion after the deal closes, making the drugmaker better equipped to meet growing demand for its products.

“In the obesity arms race, capacity remains king and the closing of this deal meaningfully improves Novo’s ability to supply this growing market,” BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Segerman wrote in a note Friday. But can be accelerated.” “Novo emphasized last quarter that it doesn’t see a problem with patient demand, and the ability to speak for each dose is a key barrier to the growth of its GLP-1 franchises.”

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, specifically said the transaction would not pose a substantial competitive threat. Drugmakers will still have access to a number of alternative manufacturers of prefilled syringes and orally disintegrating tablets, the commission said.

“The transaction will not cause consumers to lack alternative sources of catalyst,” the commission said, noting that “there is substantial excess capacity in the market.”

Competing drugmakers have pushed back on the deal.

earlier this year, Eli Lilly He was the first to suggest that this could cause problems because the company is Novo Nordisk’s key competitor in the weight-loss drug space. In August, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks also told analysts that the company relies on a Catalent site for some production, but that “it’s more unusual that your main competitor is your contract manufacturer.” And how to resolve this situation.”

RocheThomas Schnecker, the company’s top executive, also said in a media call in October that the Catalent deal would not affect the company, but “could be an issue for other smaller players.” Limiting competition in the weight-loss drug space, which Roche is racing to join, is “not a good idea,” he said.

Also in October, a coalition of more than 10 unions, public interest organizations and consumer groups wrote a letter to FTC Commissioner Lena Khan urging her to “challenge this transaction” and ensure that Create that “competition is safe and consumers will have full access to treatment.”

Feel free to send any tips, advice, story ideas and data to Annika annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.

President-elect Donald Trump Kennedy announced. As the HHS chose last month after saying in October that they would “let it go wild health wise.” Kennedy, who briefly campaigned as an independent for the presidency, has previously promoted misinformation and Conspiracy theories About topics like VaccinesCovid-19 and autism, among other things.

If the Senate confirms Kennedy to lead HHS, he would be responsible for managing the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Medicare and Medicaid insurance programs and the National Institutes of Health.

In a letter obtained by CNBC on Monday, the Nobel laureates said they “strongly urge” senators to vote against Kennedy’s nomination. The New York Times First reported letter

“In addition to his lack of credentials or relevant experience in medicine, science, public health, or administration, Mr. Kennedy has been an opponent of many health-preserving and life-saving vaccines,” the letter said.

“Given his record, putting Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would endanger public health and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences, both in the public and commercial sectors.”

Signatories to the letter include 31 Nobel laureates in medicine, 18 in physics, 17 in chemistry and 11 in economics. Victor Ambrose and Gary Rovcon, who won the Madison Award that year. The discovery of microRNAssigned the letter. Darwin Acemoglu and Simon Johnson, who won this year’s prize in economics for their work on Institutions Affecting the prosperity of nations, also signed the letter.

Here is the full text:

December 9, 2024

Members of the United States Senate:

We, the undersigned Nobel Laureate, are writing to oppose the confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

The proposal to put Mr. Kennedy in charge of federal agencies responsible for protecting the health of American citizens and conducting medical research that benefits our country and the rest of humanity has been widely criticized on several grounds. In addition to his lack of credentials or relevant experience in medicine, science, public health, or administration, Mr. Kennedy has been an opponent of many health-protecting and life-saving vaccines, such as the measles and polio vaccines; A critic of the positive effects of drinking water fluoridation; Promoter of conspiracy theories about remarkably successful cures for AIDS and other diseases; and belligerent critics of respected agencies (notably the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institutes of Health). The leadership of DHHS should not threaten the nurturing and improvement of these important and highly respected institutions and their employees.

Given his record, putting Mr. Kennedy in charge of DHHS would endanger public health and undermine America’s global leadership in the health sciences, both public and commercial.

We strongly urge you to vote against confirming her appointment as Secretary of DHHS.

77 Nobel laureates in medicine, chemistry, physics, and economics

Feel free to send any tips, advice, story ideas and data to Ashley. ashley.capoot@nbcuni.com.