Biotech & Pharma · Week of Nov 2, 2026
GLP-1 drugs reach rheumatology and telehealth: the week in biotech
Obesity drugs moved into rheumatology and telehealth while drugmakers and device firms reported third-quarter results and pipeline updates.
GLP-1 medicines ran through several of the week's releases. Eli Lilly said it will present Phase 3 retatrutide data in knee osteoarthritis pain with obesity and Phase 3b data pairing Taltz with Zepbound in psoriatic arthritis at ACR Convergence 2026. Lilly also signed an agreement with Hims & Hers to offer Zepbound and Foundayo at Lilly's self-pay prices on the telehealth platform. AbbVie's Allergan Aesthetics reported results from two Phase 4 studies of aesthetic treatment in adults taking GLP-1 medications.
ACR Convergence also drew Johnson & Johnson, which reported Phase 3 psoriatic arthritis results for its oral peptide ICOTYDE. Third-quarter earnings made up the rest of the week. TransMedics raised its full-year revenue guidance and Perrigo lowered its outlook ahead of an Infant Formula divestiture. IDEAYA Biosciences and Rapport Therapeutics reported net losses alongside pipeline changes and cash runway updates.
Perrigo Company plc
Perrigo Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results From Continuing Operations
Perrigo reported third-quarter All In net sales down 5.2% to $989 million and a reported diluted loss per share of $(0.10), and agreed after quarter-end to divest its Infant Formula business for up to $175 million. The company set fiscal 2026 Core adjusted EPS guidance at $2.15 to $2.35, down from prior guidance of $2.25 to $2.55, citing the divestiture, retailer inventory positioning and softness in Europe.
AbbVie
Allergan Aesthetics Reports Improved Satisfaction With Facial Appearance Following Aesthetic Treatment in Two Studies of Patients on GLP-1 Medications
Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, presented two Phase 4 studies at ASDS 2026 in which adults on GLP-1 medications reported mean FACE-Q facial appearance satisfaction gains of 42.4 points in HARMONY IN DIVERSITY and 39.6 points in an interim HALO analysis. The company says most treatment-related adverse events were mild and nonserious, adding data on aesthetic care for a growing GLP-1 patient group.
Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly to showcase new retatrutide, Taltz (ixekizumab) and Zepbound (tirzepatide) data at ACR Convergence 2026, advancing science at the intersection of rheumatologic conditions and obesity
Eli Lilly will present Phase 3 TRIUMPH-4 and TRIUMPH-1 data showing retatrutide reduced knee osteoarthritis pain by up to 75.8% and 73.1% from baseline, along with TOGETHER-PsA data in which 43.7% of patients on Taltz plus Zepbound achieved ACR50 at Week 52 versus 15.7% on Taltz alone. The presentations at ACR Convergence 2026 in Orlando address rheumatologic conditions in patients with obesity.
Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly and Hims & Hers expand access to FDA-approved Lilly medicines
Eli Lilly and Hims & Hers said eligible patients prescribed Zepbound or Foundayo on the Hims & Hers platform can get them at Lilly's self-pay prices, starting at $299 and $149 per month. Hims & Hers committed not to offer compounded copies of Lilly's GLP-1s, and the release does not give a start date.
TransMedics Group, Inc.
TransMedics Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
TransMedics reported third-quarter revenue of $203.0 million, up 41%, and net income of $17.1 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, and raised full-year 2026 revenue guidance to $764-$774 million. The company also reported FDA IDE approvals for its ENHANCE Heart Part B and DENOVO Lung trials and its first European transplant logistics tender, in Italy.
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson announces ICOTYDE® (icotrokinra) delivers significant improvement in psoriatic arthritis disease activity among biologic-naive patients with once-daily targeted oral peptide
Johnson & Johnson said once-daily oral ICOTYDE met the primary endpoint in the Phase 3 ICONIC-PsA 1 study, with 58% of biologic-naive psoriatic arthritis patients achieving ACR20 at Week 16 versus 41% on placebo. ICOTYDE is approved in the U.S. for plaque psoriasis but not for psoriatic arthritis, and the company says no new safety signals were identified through Week 24.
IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc.
IDEAYA Biosciences Reports Financial Results for the Third Quarter 2026 and Provides a Business Update
IDEAYA Biosciences reported a third-quarter net loss of $125.7 million and said it submitted an NDA for darovasertib plus crizotinib in metastatic uveal melanoma under the Real-Time Oncology Review program. The company is closing its Phase 3 OptimUM-010 trial, which it estimates will save $100-125 million, and plans two Phase 3 trials of IDE849 by year end, with cash runway guidance into 2030.
Rapport Therapeutics, Inc.
Rapport Therapeutics Reports Third Quarter 2026 Financials and Provides Business Update
Rapport Therapeutics reported a third-quarter net loss of $40.2 million and said its Phase 2 trial of RAP-219 in acute bipolar mania met its primary endpoint, with a 3.1-point placebo-adjusted YMRS improvement (p=0.045). October offerings raised about $410.7 million in net proceeds, which the company says, with existing cash, funds operations through the end of 2029.
This roundup is written with AI assistance from the press releases listed above, using only what they state. The releases are the companies' own announcements, not Major Health News reporting.