Newscasts - Novo Nordisk takes on Pfizer in bid for obesity biotech Metsera

Metsera

30/10/2025 19:05

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Source: 'Reuters - Business videos'

Description: Denmark's Novo Nordisk launched a rival bid for U.S. obesity biotech firm Metsera on Thursday, hijacking an offer from Pfizer as the drugmakers jostled for advantage in the highly lucrative weight-loss drug market. Lisa Bernhard has more.

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Video Transcript:

A bidding war is heating up in the race for the next blockbuster obesity drug. Novo Nordisk on Thursday launched a surprise bid for US biotech firm Metsera, hijacking an offer from Pfizer as the two jostle for advantage in the highly lucrative weight-loss drug market. The news sent shares of Metsera, which were already up nearly 100% since January, soaring more than 23% on Thursday. Denmark's Novo Nordisk, maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, is offering up to $8.5 billion for Metsera. That tops Pfizer's bid of $7.3 billion. Metsera says Novo's offer is superior and has given Pfizer four days to respond. Pfizer said Novo had made a previous bid for Metsera that was rejected. It called Novo's revised offer reckless and bad for competition, adding it would pursue all legal avenues to defend its rights in the deal. Novo declined to comment on its previous bid, which was confirmed by several other sources. The company told Reuters its current offer, which values Metsera at $9 billion, underscored its commitment to investing in the US. Both Novo and Pfizer want access to Metsera's experimental lineup. They include a weight-loss candidate drug that would only need to be injected once a month, unlike Novo's Wegovy. Novo's offer comes a week after the company ousted most of its board members over concerns it was not moving fast enough in the obesity market where it competes with main rival Eli Lilly. Meanwhile, shares of Lilly rose on Thursday after the company raised its full-year profit and revenue forecasts. Lilly, which makes injectable weight-loss drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro, said its experimental weight-loss pill will be submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration this quarter for review.