Now, initial analysis of electronic medical records shows that GLP-1 drugs, which help patients keep blood sugar levels under control, could be a “very important therapy” in helping people with diabetes to cope with the situation. Fight Covid-19, said Novo’s chief science officer. Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen. In an interview. He pointed to the evidence that the virus attacks cells that produce the hormone insulin.
Novo’s shares recovered earlier losses to trade down 0.2% at 11:40 a.m. in Copenhagen.
GLP-1 medications include Ozempic de Novo for diabetes and Saxenda for obesity. Sales of those drugs, which also include Eli Lilly & Co.’s Trulicity and AstraZeneca Plc’s Bydureon, totaled more than $ 11 billion last year, according to a report from Grand View Research.
Rush for Treatments
Novo, the world’s largest maker of diabetes drugs, is studying the role these drugs could play as researchers and governments scramble to find treatments to combat the coronavirus. Last month, the US authorized the use of convalescent plasma, which uses blood from people who have recovered from Covid-19 to help those who are currently infected, as an emergency for some cases.
That adds to a growing list of therapies available to physicians. In May, regulators granted emergency clearance to Gilead Sciences Inc.’s antiviral drug remdesivir, while dexamethasone, a widely available generic anti-inflammatory drug, has shown promise in saving lives.
Covid-19 patients can suffer from an inflammatory disease in which the immune system overreacts to the virus, causing damage worse than the infection itself.
Sales Forecasts
Novo has been betting on GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic, which analysts forecast will generate $ 3.4 billion in sales in 2020. Saxenda is expected to exceed $ 1 billion in sales this year. The company expects regulators to decide whether to approve the obesity semaglutide by the end of next year or mid-2021 if it decides to use a priority review voucher, Thomsen said.
Research indicates that obese and overweight people are at high risk for severe cases of Covid-19, and a French study last month found that only one in 10 who ends up in intensive care with the disease had a healthy weight range. . . Another report from August highlights concerns that future Covid-19 vaccines could be less effective for people with obesity due to a weakened immune response.
