Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) presented Tuesday September 15, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. ET at the Morgan Stanley 24th Annual Global Healthcare Conference in New York with Jay Bradner MD (Executive Vice President Research and Development, Artificial Intelligence and Data) and Thomas Dittrich (Executive Vice President and CFO) — an unusual R&D-plus-finance pairing that indicates the AI-driven research investment thesis is a live investor question alongside the near-term MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide, antibody-peptide conjugate combining GLP-1 receptor agonism with GIP receptor antagonism) obesity narrative. The Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference presentation last Thursday September 10 laid out the MariTide dosing thesis (8-week or quarterly maintenance dosing, 4-6 doses per year after induction) plus the MARITIME-SWITCH Phase 3 conversion trial from weekly injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide onto monthly MariTide. Phase 2 data anchored 20% weight loss at 52 weeks plus reductions in triglycerides, hs-CRP, and an 11 mmHg blood pressure drop. Bradner is also expected to address the pipeline consolidation following the August discontinuation of AMG 513 (Phase 1 obesity), which left MariTide as the sole late-stage Amgen obesity asset. Filing is planned late 2026 to early 2027 with anticipated launch 2027-2028.
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) executive commentary continued through the weekend of September 12-13, 2026 following Thursday's Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference in Boston, reinforcing that MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide, antibody-peptide conjugate combining a GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide with a GIP receptor antagonist antibody scaffold) is Amgen's sole obesity asset following the August 4, 2026 Q2 earnings-call disclosure that Amgen had discontinued Phase 1 candidate AMG 513. The AMG 513 discontinuation followed a similar Amgen fate for AMG 786 in 2024 and reflects the company's high internal efficacy bar for obesity assets against the emerging retatrutide (Lilly, ~28% weight loss in TRIUMPH-1) and CagriSema (Novo, ~20% in REDEFINE) benchmarks. Amgen's positioning for MariTide anchors on 8-week or quarterly maintenance dosing (4-6 doses per year), Phase 2 20% weight loss at 52 weeks, and cardiometabolic secondary benefits (triglycerides, hs-CRP, blood pressure). MARITIME-SWITCH Phase 3 tests conversion from weekly injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide to monthly MariTide. Analysts continue to seek Amgen M&A activity to broaden the obesity asset base, but company executives at Wells Fargo said the late-stage pipeline is largely full and business development will focus on earlier-stage opportunities.
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) presented Thursday September 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo 21st Annual Healthcare Conference in Boston, with Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton MD outlining a positioning for MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide, an antibody-peptide conjugate combining a GLP-1 receptor agonist peptide with a GIP receptor antagonist antibody scaffold) that could support 8-week or quarterly maintenance dosing (approximately 4-6 doses per year) after the induction phase. Phase 2 data showed about 20% weight loss at 52 weeks alongside lower triglycerides, lower high-sensitivity CRP, and an 11 mmHg drop in blood pressure. Two Phase 3 long-term extension studies (MARITIME-1 EXTENSION and MARITIME-2 EXTENSION) are examining lower maintenance dosing frequencies, plus a dedicated switch trial (MARITIME-SWITCH) testing conversion from weekly semaglutide or tirzepatide onto monthly MariTide. Six total Phase 3 MariTide trials enroll across obesity, obesity plus type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, heart failure, and cardiovascular outcomes. Filing is planned late 2026 to early 2027 with anticipated launch 2027-2028. The 4% bone mineral density decline signal from Phase 1 remains a factor to watch in the Phase 3 dataset.
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) continued enrollment through September 2026 in the dedicated MARITIME switch trial that specifically tests whether patients currently on weekly semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) can be converted to monthly MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide, antibody-peptide conjugate combining GLP-1 receptor agonism with GIP receptor antagonism) with equivalent weight-loss maintenance and comparable tolerability. Filing for FDA approval is planned late 2026 to early 2027 with anticipated launch 2027-2028. Six total Phase 3 MariTide trials are enrolling across obesity (MARITIME-1), obesity plus type 2 diabetes (MARITIME-2), cardiovascular outcomes (MARITIME-CVD), heart failure (MARITIME-HF), obstructive sleep apnea (MARITIME-OSA), plus the switch trial. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst commentary earlier in 2026 had flagged a 4% bone mineral density decline signal from Phase 1 as a factor to watch; Phase 3 data on bone health will affect prescribing guidance especially for adults over 60 or with prior fracture history.
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) continued through September 2026 the consolidation of its obesity portfolio around MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide, a monthly subcutaneous injectable antibody-peptide conjugate combining GLP-1 receptor agonist activity via the peptide component with GIP receptor antagonism via the antibody component) following the July 29, 2026 Q2 disclosure that Phase 1 AMG 513 development was halted. Amgen has launched a late-stage program specifically to test whether patients currently on weekly GLP-1 injections can be switched to monthly MariTide with equivalent efficacy and comparable tolerability — a differentiation strategy that uses the monthly dosing convenience as a switch driver rather than a first-line efficacy claim. Amgen expects to file for MariTide regulatory approval in late 2026 to early 2027. Six Phase 3 MariTide trials are enrolling across obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and obstructive sleep apnea. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst commentary earlier in 2026 had flagged a 4% bone mineral density decline signal from Phase 1 as a concern; Phase 3 data on bone health will factor into commercial positioning.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Parabilis Medicines announced May 18 a strategic research collaboration to discover and develop antibody-Helicon conjugates (AHCs) — a novel modality combining Regeneron's antibody platform with Parabilis's Helicon stabilized helical peptide technology. Deal structure: $50M upfront, $75M equity commitment, and up to $2.2B in development and regulatory milestones across an initial five targets, plus tiered royalties. The Helicon platform locks peptides into their bioactive helical conformation, enabling targeting of historically undruggable protein-protein interaction surfaces that small molecules cannot access. The conjugate format pairs antibody-mediated tissue homing with peptide payload delivery — an extension of the broader peptide-drug-conjugate field that included Bicycle Therapeutics' bicyclic peptide-MMAE conjugates and Avacta's FAP-activated PDCs. The deal is the largest single peptide-platform partnership announced in 2026.