Mergers and Acquisitions - Metser is considered valuable due to the obesity market's potential, estimated to be upwards of $130 billion when combined with diabetes [1] - Pfizer's acquisition of Metser could establish them as a significant third player in the obesity market [2] - Novo needs the acquisition to bolster growth, given previous share declines and challenges [2] - A de-risked obesity asset like Metser is highly sought after, with potential for Pfizer's bid to surpass Novo Nordisk's; Pfizer has already received FTC clearance, allowing for a quick closing [7] Competitive Landscape - The obesity market is currently dominated by Lily and Novo [2] - Lily's oral GLP-1 pill launch next year will be a competitive product [3][4] - Meter provides Novo with a longer-acting GLP-1 option (once a month instead of once a week) and another option for amylin [5] - Novo aims to have multiple assets in the amylin space, including cagrilintide amylin and potentially the Metser asset [6] Drug Pricing and Market Access - A deal is expected where the lowest dose of weight loss drugs would be sold on Trump RX for $149 in exchange for Medicaid and Medicare coverage for obesity treatment [8] - The $149 price is meaningful as it addresses the missing piece of Medicare coverage for the obesity market [9] - The $299 price for Zepbound is a good deal, only $50 lower than Lily Direct's cash pay price, and higher doses are expected to be more expensive, resulting in a net win for Lily and Novo due to increased market access [9][10]
Expect Pfizer bid to beat Novo for Metsera, says BMO's Evan David Seigerman