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Novo Seeks Deals to Reverse Slide in Weight-Loss Market It Made

Novo Seeks Deals to Reverse Slide in Weight-Loss Market It Made

Bloomberg9 hours ago

Novo Nordisk A/S is hunting for more early-stage deals to pad its pipeline of next-generation obesity drugs, as the drugmaker struggles to fend off rivals in the burgeoning weight-loss market it helped pioneer.
The Danish company is casting a wide net with an open checkbook, according to Ludovic Helfgott, who took over as Novo's chief of product and portfolio strategy this year. 'The level of curiosity of the new Novo is maybe more than what people are expecting,' he said in an interview Monday from the American Diabetes Association meeting in Chicago.

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Blood-Based KRAS Testing Fails in Ovarian Cancer
Blood-Based KRAS Testing Fails in Ovarian Cancer

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Blood-Based KRAS Testing Fails in Ovarian Cancer

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'Unlike its high-grade counterpart, LGSOC is driven by alterations in the RAS/MAPK pathway, with KRAS mutations present in approximately 30% of patients,' she said. These tumors show remarkable resistance to conventional chemotherapy, with response rates ranging between 0% and 13%, she added. Based on the RAMP-201 results, the FDA granted accelerated approval in May 2024 for the combination of avutometinib (a RAF/MEK inhibitor) and defactinib (a FAK inhibitor) for patients with KRAS -mutated recurrent LGSOC who failed prior systemic therapy. The combination showed response rates of 44% in patients with KRAS mutations , compared with 17% in those with wild-type KRAS . Van Nieuwenhuysen explained that the indication for patients with KRAS -mutated tumors makes accurate KRAS mutation detection crucial for selecting the most effective treatment. 'We can detect ctDNA because tumor cells can release or shed DNA into the bloodstream by either apoptosis or necrosis,' said Van Nieuwenhuysen during her presentation. However, she noted that ctDNA is only present in small amounts, ranging from approximately 0.1% to 10% of the total circulating DNA. The potential for blood-based testing has generated significant interest as molecular profiling has become a standard practice for ovarian cancer patients. A previous small series of 13 KRAS -mutated patients had detected mutations in blood samples from six patients, which — according to Van Nieuwenhuysen — suggests promise for this less invasive approach. Liquid Biopsy Falls Short in Detecting KRAS mutations The RAMP-201 analysis examined blood samples from 65 patients with confirmed LGSOC; 50 patients had KRAS mutations detected in tumor tissue, and 15 had KRAS wild-type tumors. Using the Tempus xF panel, which tests 105 cancer-related genes, including KRAS , researchers found that only 32% of patients had detectable ctDNA levels above the 0.25% limit of detection. Van Nieuwenhuysen emphasized that the most concerning was the high false-negative rate. Among the 50 patients with tumor tissue-confirmed KRAS mutations, blood-based testing detected mutations in only 22 patients (44%), while 28 patients (56%) showed false-negative results. Patients with wild-type KRAS in tumor samples also tested negative in the blood, indicating no false-positive results. 'These findings suggest that ctDNA screening is not a sufficiently robust method for detecting KRAS mutations in patients with LGSOC,' Van Nieuwenhuysen said, emphasizing that 'treatment decisions should not be made based on the lack of KRAS mutation detection in the blood.' Technical Considerations Kristina Lindemann, MD, of Oslo University Hospital, Norway, who served as discussant during the session, said that technical factors, including the choice of testing panel and timing of sample collection, might have influenced the study's findings. Lindemann noted that the panel used, Tempus, includes 105 genes, explaining that 'the broader the panel, the less sensitivity you get in terms of the limit of detection.' She suggested that a more targeted approach focusing specifically on KRAS mutations 'would potentially have brought down the level limit of detection.' Lindemann also raised questions about sample timing, noting the 'median of 2 years between tissue accessibility and entering the trial.' She emphasized that KRAS mutations typically arise very early in the development of cancer, and they 'may even be lost during the disease trajectory due to treatment pressure.' Tumor Biology May Explain Poor Detection According to Van Nieuwenhuysen, the amount of ctDNA in the blood varies by cancer type, and the low rate of detection of KRAS mutations in ctDNA may reflect the unique biology of LGSOC, suggesting that LGSOC may be a 'low-shedding tumor' compared with other ovarian cancer subtypes. Lindemann provided additional perspective on tumor heterogeneity, citing data from lung cancer showing high discordance rates (primary tumor vs metastasis) in KRAS mutations in lymph node and lung metastases. She added that the location of metastasis might influence ctDNA shedding, as 'metastases with high accessibility of blood cells or sites potentially would be more likely to shed ctDNA.' Looking Ahead Lindemann noted that, despite the limited ability of liquid biopsy to detect KRAS mutations in LGSOC, the study confirms that when KRAS mutations are detected in blood, they correlate with tumor tissue findings. This conclusion was based on no false positives having been observed, she said. However, she emphasized that the high false-negative rate means that negative blood tests cannot rule out the presence of actionable mutations. For now, clinicians treating patients with LGSOC should continue to rely on tumor tissue-based molecular profiling to guide treatment decisions, she concluded. The ongoing RAMP-301 phase 3 confirmatory trial will provide additional data on the clinical utility of KRAS mutation testing in LGSOC. Van Nieuwenhuysen reports financial relationships with AstraZeneca, GSK, MSD, Oncoinvent, Regeneron, Bioncotech Therapeutics, Merck, Novartis, Roche, Seagen, and Verastem Oncology. Lindemann reports financial relationships with GSK, MSD, AstraZeneca, Karyopharm, Eisai, and Genmab.

HIMS Leveraged ETF Crashes 70% as Novo Ends Deal
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HIMS Leveraged ETF Crashes 70% as Novo Ends Deal

The Defiance Daily Target 2X Long HIMS ETF (HIMZ), which aims to double the daily returns of the high-growth American telehealth stock Hims & Hers Health Inc. (HIMS), plunged nearly 70% on Monday, underscoring the potentially devastating impact of concentrated bets in volatile names. The collapse came after Novo Nordisk (NVO) abruptly ended a partnership with Hims & Hers, a deal that had previously fueled investor optimism about the company's role in expanding access to popular weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. The unraveling of the Novo-Hims relationship not only erased billions in market value but also served as a stark reminder of the dangers of using leveraged ETFs, especially those tied to fast-moving, hype-driven stocks. This article unpacks how the HIMZ ETF works, why leveraged ETFs can produce the best and worst returns in the market, and who should and shouldn't use them. The HIMZ ETF is designed to deliver 2x the daily return of the daily share price movement of HIMS stock. Leveraged ETFs like HIMZ use derivatives, such as swaps and futures, to amplify short-term price moves, allowing traders to maximize gains or, in cases like Monday, suffer extreme losses. Thus, leveraged ETFs like HIMZ offer investors contrasting pros and cons to understand before buying shares. Magnified returns in short timeframes Useful for tactical traders and hedging strategies Easily traded like any other ETF Extremely high risk, especially during volatile periods Not designed for long-term holding, as daily rebalancing causes performance to diverge from the underlying asset over time Highly sensitive to single-stock news, especially in concentrated thematic funds like HIMZ Monday's drop for HIMZ shows how a single corporate announcement, even from a third party like Novo Nordisk, can unravel a leveraged ETF built on speculative optimism. Leveraged ETFs often occupy both ends of performance charts, and June 2025 is no exception, according to data from Pulse Tool. HIMZ is now the worst-performing ETF over the past month, with a 60% decline through June 23, made worse by Monday's collapse. Defiance Daily Target 2X Long HIMS ETF (HIMZ)—Source: TradingView & Meanwhile, the Defiance Daily Target 2X Long ORCL ETF (ORCX), which seeks to deliver 2x leveraged exposure to the daily share price movement of Oracle Corp. (ORCL), is the top-performing ETF, up more than 70% over the same period. Defiance Daily Target 2X Long ORCL ETF (ORCX)—Source: TradingView & This wide dispersion underscores a key feature of leveraged ETFs: They exaggerate market moves, making them rocket ships in rallies and black holes in downturns. That's why they're favored by tactical traders who want to make quick directional bets, not by buy-and-hold investors. The HIMZ crash on Monday illustrates the core risk of using leveraged products tied to single-company narratives. While ETFs like HIMZ can generate huge gains in the right environment, they are highly speculative, short-term tools that can implode just as quickly when sentiment turns. Leveraged ETFs like HIMZ offer enhanced upside and downside by design. They are not suitable for long-term investors or those new to ETF trading. Even headline risk, like a canceled partnership, can trigger massive drawdowns. For most investors, leveraged ETFs are best used in short bursts with clear risk controls. As the HIMZ collapse makes clear, chasing short-term hype through leveraged products can lead to big wins or brutal lessons. Know your tools before you trade them. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Investing in ETFs involves risks, and investors should carefully consider their investment objectives and risk tolerance before making any investment decisions. At the time of publication, Kent Thune did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned | © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

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