Pfizer Inc. will pay $4.9 billion for the obesity startup Metsera Inc. in a bid to catch up to rival drugmakers after failing to compete with its own weight-loss medications. The US drugmaker agreed to buy Metsera for $47.50 in cash per share, and further payments of up to $22.50 per share if three specific and regulatory milestones are met, it said Monday, with a total potential value of $7.3 billion. The deal represents a 43% premium to Metsera's closing share price on Friday. Bloomberg's Sam Fazeli repo ...

Clinical Trial Results - Eli Lilly's experimental pill Orphon showed an 11% weight loss in patients [1] - Novo Nordisk's weight loss shot Wegovy led to a 15% body weight reduction in trials [2] - Eli Lilly's shot Zepbound demonstrated even better weight loss results than Wegovy [2] Market Expectations and Reactions - Wall Street anticipated Orphon to perform better, aligning with injectable drugs [1] - Investors showed a negative reaction to Orphon's results, indicated by a share price decrease [1] - Pills are considered crucial for expanding market reach, in a market projected to reach $95 billion by 2030 [3] Development and Approval - Eli Lilly plans to submit Orphon's findings for approval by the end of the year [4] - The daily weight loss pill could potentially be available in pharmacies as early as 2026, pending approval [4] - Pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and AstraZeneca have previously encountered setbacks in developing weight loss pills [3]