Pharma Pulse: Amgen Invests $600M in Innovation Hub, Novartis Collaborates With Argo, and Wegovy Tops Tirzepatide in Heart Outcomes

Welcome to Pharma Pulse, a Pharmaceutical Commerce podcast where we bring you the latest insights shaping patient access, supply chain/logistics, data & tech, and healthcare innovation. I’m your host, and today we’re covering a major R&D investment from Amgen, a multi-billion-dollar acquisition by Novartis, and new head-to-head data on GLP-1 therapies for cardiovascular outcomes.

• Amgen has announced plans to invest $600 million in a new Science and Innovation Center at its headquarters in Thousand Oaks, CA. The facility will focus on cutting-edge drug discovery and development across therapeutic areas, while also housing labs for biologics and multispecific molecules. Amgen says the project underscores its long-term commitment to R&D and to California as a hub for life sciences innovation.
• In dealmaking news, Novartis has agreed to acquire Argo Biopharmaceuticals in a transaction valued at $5.2 billion. The acquisition brings Argo’s late-stage pipeline in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases under Novartis’s umbrella. With rising global demand for therapies addressing heart disease and related conditions, the deal signals Novartis’s push to strengthen its portfolio in high-growth, high-need areas.
• Lastly, new analysis shows that Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy outperformed Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide in reducing major adverse cardiovascular events, or MACE, in patients with obesity and heart disease. While both GLP-1 drugs significantly lowered risk, Wegovy demonstrated a greater relative reduction. The findings could influence prescribing decisions and payer coverage as competition intensifies in the obesity and cardiometabolic markets.

From bold investments and billion-dollar acquisitions to competitive data shaping the GLP-1 landscape, these stories highlight the scientific and commercial forces driving today’s pharmaceutical industry.

That’s it for this episode of Pharma Pulse. For more insights on trends transforming pharmaceutical access and care delivery, visit pharmaceuticalcommerce.com.

Thanks for listening—until next time, stay well and stay informed.

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