Global Scans · Pharmaceuticals · Weekly Summary

• [New] In 2025, a collaboration between MIT researchers and the AI drug company Recursion produced a model called Boltz-2, which predicts not only the structure of proteins but also how well potential drug molecules will bind to their target. MIT Technology Review
• [New] U.S. pharmaceutical spending reached $806 billion in 2024, with 9% to 11% growth expected in 2025. The Real Economy Blog
• [New] The new deal with Trump will lower that to as little as $150 for Lilly's forthcoming weight loss pill, orforglipron, which is expected to soon be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Nasdaq
• [New] President Donald Trump's patent office is working at cross-purposes with the FDA, biosimilar makers charge, by narrowing the opportunities for companies that try to challenge the throngs of patents that brand-name drugmakers file to protect their products from competition. Health Care News for Insurance Brokers | J&R Report
• [New] Novo Nordisk could get the greenlight for oral Wegovy before Eli Lilly's orforglipron as it submitted its application to the US Food and Drug Administration earlier. Clinical Trials Arena
• [New] Drug tests in dogs and nonhuman primates will be reduced by 2030. MIT Technology Review
• [New] Five industries will see breakthrough applications by 2035 - Healthcare drug discovery, financial fraud detection, traffic optimization, material discovery, and supply chain management will be transformed through quantum-AI integration. TECH TICH | Technology Blogs, News & Product Reviews
• [New] HHS leadership unveils biosimilar development reform plans to lower drug pricing. / USA National Law Review
• [New] If the reduced requirement for CES data can increase the number of available FDA-approved biosimilars, providers and patients will have more choices and the prices for both reference and biosimilar biological products may decrease. / USA Mintz
• [New] The Trump Administration has just announced price agreements with pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly that will make some GLP-1s more affordable for Americans, including people enrolled in Medicare. EatingWell
• [New] If oral GLP-1 tablets are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the lowest dose will cost $149. CNN
• [New] The Food and Drug Administration plans to discard warning labels for hormone therapies for menopausal women, undoing decades-old language cautioning that treatments may increase the risk of cancer or heart disease. Healthcare Dive
• [New] AMR is now a significant global health threat as drug-resistant microbes know no borders and can spread rapidly, exacerbated by factors like poverty, inequality, and natural or human-induced crises. Times Kuwait
• [New] Projects growing pressure from patent expirations, biosimilar competition, and regulatory changes will reduce Amgen's revenues and margins over time. Simply Wall St
• FDA's reviewers will likely continue to expect CES when evaluating 351 (k) BLAs, and biosimilar sponsors should be prepared to establish the scientific value of CAA on a product-by-product basis. JD Supra
• Manufacturing advantages in the form of cost-effective labour, abundant raw materials, and improved infrastructure will fortify Asia Pacific as the global epicenter for aquaculture feed and pharmaceutical innovation and production for the next several years. Persistence Market Research
• Biogen plans to introduce the new drug delivery system for SPINRAZA in early 2028, contingent upon the successful completion of clinical trials and regulatory approval. Biogen Inc.
• Drug manufacturers will remove certain black box warnings on certain hormone replacement therapy treatments prescribed to address menopause symptoms. National Law Review
• The US Food and Drug Administration will remove certain black box warnings from certain hormone replacement therapy treatments. National Law Review
• An antimalarial drug developed by Novartis could become the first novel treatment for the parasitic infection in more than two decades, following study results that showed it helped cure most people treated with it in a Phase 3 trial. BioPharma Dive
• In many circumstances analytical data will be more sensitive than CES in detecting differences between a proposed biosimilar and its reference product. Arnold & Porter
• Barring any delays, France is on track to begin a complete medical cannabis program in 2026, a significant shift for a country with historically strict drug laws. Better Tomorrow Consulting
• Uniquely, France will treat medical cannabis strictly like a pharmaceutical product: only licensed pharmacy operators can supply it, and smokable flower will be limited to sealed vape cartridges. Better Tomorrow Consulting

Last updated: 02 December 2025