AbbVie Ventures into Obesity Drug Development with Gubra Licensing Deal
AbbVie recently made headlines by entering into a partnership with Denmark-based Gubra to license a promising drug for the treatment of obesity. This move places AbbVie in direct competition with industry giants like Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Zealand Pharma, who are also actively developing new therapies for obesity.
Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will make an initial payment of $350 million to Gubra, with the potential for up to $1.9 billion in additional payments based on the achievement of various development and sales milestones. AbbVie will take over the responsibility for further development and commercialization of the drug.
Gubra’s drug is classified as an amylin analog, a type of medication that helps regulate appetite and blood sugar levels. If successful, these drugs could offer alternative treatment options or be used in combination with existing medications like Novo’s Wegovy and Lilly’s Zepbound to enhance weight loss outcomes and minimize side effects.
While Novo and Lilly currently dominate the obesity drug market with their GLP-1 drugs, which have demonstrated significant weight loss results in clinical trials, these medications are not without their limitations. Common side effects such as nausea and vomiting, along with high costs, have led to high discontinuation rates among patients.
The growing demand for effective obesity treatments, coupled with the potential for a multi-billion dollar market, has spurred increased research and collaboration in the field. Companies like AbbVie and Amgen, traditionally not focused on metabolic drugs, are now actively pursuing opportunities in this space.
Gubra’s experimental drug, known as GUB014295 or GUBamy, has shown promising results in early trials. In a Phase 1 dosing study, participants who received the highest dose experienced an average weight loss of 3% over six weeks. Further trials are currently underway, with results expected throughout 2025.
While Gubra’s drug is slightly behind competitors like Zealand Pharma in terms of development timeline, its unique stability profile sets it apart. Fibrillation, a common issue with amylin-targeting drugs that can impact potency and quality, has been minimized in Gubra’s formulation.
As the race to develop innovative obesity treatments heats up, Gubra’s partnership with AbbVie represents a significant step forward in bringing new therapeutic options to patients struggling with weight management. With promising early results and ongoing clinical trials, the future looks bright for this novel amylin analog and its potential impact on the obesity treatment landscape.
