AbbVie acquires Gubra for $2.3bn to enter obesity field

AbbVie has made a strategic entry into the obesity treatment sector by securing a $2.3 billion licensing agreement to obtain the global rights to GUB014295, an innovative amylin analogue developed by the Danish biotechnology firm Gubra. This significant move was announced on March 3 and represents AbbVie’s initial foray into a market that is becoming increasingly competitive. According to the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will provide an upfront payment of $350 million to Gubra, along with potential milestone payments that could reach $1.875 billion. Gubra will also receive tiered royalties from future sales of the product. Following this announcement, Gubra’s stock experienced a significant increase, rising by 24% when the market opened on March 3.

GUB014295 is designed as an amylin receptor agonist, which also targets calcitonin receptors. The role of amylin analogues in controlling appetite and slowing gastric emptying has been a subject of research, as both mechanisms support weight loss efforts. In a Phase I clinical study conducted by Gubra, involving healthy and overweight male participants, those who were administered between 3.5mg to 6mg of GUB014295 exhibited an average weight reduction of around 3% over a period of six weeks, contrasting with a 1% weight gain observed in the placebo group. Currently, GUB014295 is in the multiple-ascending dose segment of the Phase I trial.

The market for obesity treatments has drawn the attention of major pharmaceutical companies, with amylin analogues being considered as potential alternatives or complements to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), such as semaglutide, which is marketed under the name Wegovy for obesity. However, the development of amylin-based therapies has encountered mixed outcomes. For instance, Novo Nordisk’s combination therapy CagriSema, which includes semaglutide and cagrilintide, achieved its primary endpoint in the Phase III REDEFINE 1 trial but did not meet the company’s target for 25% weight loss, resulting in a lukewarm response from investors.

Distinct from GLP-1RAs, which mainly function by enhancing insulin release and reducing glucagon levels, amylin analogues operate by suppressing glucagon release, increasing feelings of fullness, and delaying gastric emptying. Zealand Pharma, also based in Denmark, is advancing its own amylin analogue, petrelintide, as a potential leading therapy for managing obesity and diabetes.

Gubra has been an active participant in obesity-related research, having previously collaborated with Boehringer Ingelheim on several projects. In 2021, Gubra and Boehringer Ingelheim embarked on a partnership to jointly develop four obesity treatment candidates. However, Boehringer later halted the development of BI 1820237, a long-acting NPY2 agonist, without providing specific reasons. Among their continuing projects is BI 3034701, a long-acting triple agonist peptide, which commenced a Phase I trial in July 2024. In a separate initiative, Gubra entered a discovery agreement with Amylyx to explore the development of a long-acting GLP-1RA.

AbbVie, a latecomer among major pharmaceutical players to the obesity treatment arena, has joined this increasingly vital area of drug development, spurred by the commercial achievements of GLP-1RAs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide). A recent report projects that the global obesity market is anticipated to surpass $173.5 billion by 2031 across seven key markets, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the US.