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Pfizer’s PARP inhibitor scores clinical win & Lilly's triple-agonist diabetes drug shows positive Phase 3 results

AuthorAuthor

Joachim Eeckhout & Eduardo Longoria
March 20, 2026

Good Morning! Eli Lilly’s next obesity play may be taking notes from animals that spend half the year asleep.

What happened: Fauna Bio, Lilly’s obesity discovery partner since 2023, has disclosed the target driving their collaboration: a potential first-in-class obesity approach inspired by hibernating mammals’ ability to regulate weight and metabolism. The target came from Fauna’s AI platform, which analyzed genomic data across 450+ mammal species, including more than 60 hibernators.

Why it matters: Lilly, which currently sits at the top of the obesity market with Novo Nordisk, already has nearer-term obesity contenders headed for regulators and late-stage readouts. But the hunt for what comes after GLP-1s is already on and Big Pharma is willing to look well outside standard discovery playbooks.

Bottom line: The obesity pipeline may owe its next twist not just to chemistry, but also to cute bears and squirrels.

— Joachim E.

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SNAPSHOT

Pfizer’s PARP inhibitor Talzenna scores clinical win, but commercial upside looks limited

Pfizer reported positive Phase 3 data showing its PARP inhibitor Talzenna, combined with Xtandi, significantly delayed disease progression in certain metastatic prostate cancer patients and may extend survival.

Why it matters: The results could expand Talzenna’s use to earlier stages of prostate cancer, offering patients better outcomes, though analysts expect limited financial upside for Pfizer despite the clear win for patients.

Backstory: Talzenna is part of the PARP inhibitor class, once expected to dominate cancer treatment, but was ultimately unable to expand its scope. Previous FDA approvals limited Talzenna to later-stage, castration-resistant prostate cancer with HRR mutations. Pfizer acquired it via a $14 billion takeover of Medivation. However, safety concerns and narrower-than-expected patient benefits have tempered expectations across the class.

Big picture: PARP inhibitors remain important but niche therapies. Even the category leader, Lynparza, trails blockbuster cancer drugs like Keytruda. The field is shifting toward more targeted use in genetically defined patient groups.

Zoom in: The trial focused on patients with HRR gene mutations whose cancer still responds to hormone therapy. Talzenna + Xtandi outperformed placebo + Xtandi in delaying tumor progression based on imaging. Early data show a survival benefit, though not yet definitive. Talzenna generated just $182 million in 2025 revenue despite 55% growth, a small win within Pfizer’s ~$17B oncology portfolio.

What’s next: Pfizer plans to submit the data to regulators, aiming to broaden Talzenna’s label to earlier-stage prostate cancer patients.

 

SNIPPETS

What’s happening in biotech today?

🥊 GLP challenger: Eli Lilly reported phase 3 trial results showing its triple-agonist drug retatrutide significantly lowered blood sugar and reduced weight in patients with Type 2 diabetes, supporting its competitiveness with existing GLP-1 therapies. After 40 weeks, the drug reduced A1C levels (a common blood test for blood sugar) by up to 1.9% and achieved average weight loss of up to 16.8% at the highest dose, though below investor expectations for greater weight reduction. Safety outcomes were improved compared to prior trials, with lower discontinuation rates and typical gastrointestinal side effects. Lilly plans to seek regulatory approval for obesity later in 2026 and for diabetes in 2027, positioning retatrutide as a next-generation successor to its current treatments.

🦠 Phage fail: BiomX is undergoing a major strategic and financial reset following setbacks in its phage therapy pipeline, including the discontinuation of its lead candidate BX004 due to adverse events and resource constraints. The turmoil has led to layoffs, leadership departures, insolvency proceedings for its Israeli subsidiary, and significant asset sell-offs, leaving the company with limited operations. BiomX has restructured a recent financing deal to improve its capital position and is exploring a potential pivot toward high-demand sectors such as defense.

🧬 PROTAC win: Arvinas reported positive phase 1 results for its investigational PROTAC degrader ARV-102 in Parkinson’s disease, demonstrating over 50% reduction of the LRRK2 protein in cerebrospinal fluid (a biomarker of the disease) after 28 days of treatment. The oral therapy showed dose-dependent brain penetration, achieved target protein reduction by day 14, and maintained effects through day 28, while also reducing biomarkers linked to neuroinflammation and disease progression. The drug was well tolerated with no serious adverse events. These findings support further development in Parkinson’s and related conditions, with plans to begin a phase 1b trial in progressive supranuclear palsy in 2026.

🧠 Brain rescue: AlzeCure Pharma presented new preclinical data for its Alzheimer’s candidate NeuroRestore ACD856, showing that the compound activates NGF and BDNF signaling through Trk receptors in a dose-dependent manner, supporting its proposed mechanism of action. The studies demonstrated downstream biological effects, including improved neuronal function and a strong antidepressant response in vivo, aligning with earlier findings and highlighting potential benefits for both Alzheimer’s disease and depression. ACD856, described as a first-in-class therapy, is part of the company’s NeuroRestore platform aimed at enhancing cognitive function and neuroprotection, and is being prepared for phase 2 clinical trials with backing from EU funding.

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