Biopharma Bites: Boehringer’s 2Q, Keytruda Expansion, and Wegovy’s Market Domination

Boehringer Ingelheim reported strong first-half 2026 results, with group net sales up 16.2% to EUR 15.8 billion, driven by continued demand for JARDIANCE and successful new launches in the U.S., including JASCAYD and HERNEXEOS.

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy continues to dominate the U.S. oral weight‑loss drug market, capturing about 89% of prescriptions versus Eli Lilly's Foundayo, contributing to recent stock gains.

The FDA recently approved Keytruda (pembrolizumab) or Keytruda QLEX combined with enfortumab vedotin as neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer, expanding its use beyond prior cisplatin‑ineligible patients to all eligible adults.

Keytruda has also been cleared by the FDA in combination with Trodelvy as first‑line treatment for PD‑L1+ advanced triple‑negative breast cancer, based on improved progression‑free survival and response rates in the KEYNOTE‑D19/ASCENT‑04 trial.

Boehringer’s late‑stage pipeline remains active, with forthcoming Phase III readouts for its dual glucagon/GLP‑1 receptor agonist survodutide in obesity, which will help determine its positioning in the crowded weight‑loss therapeutics space.