Hungarian pharmaceutical giant Gedeon Richter is opening the next chapter in its global expansion. As the company announced Thursday on the Budapest Stock Exchange (BÉT) website, it is expanding its strategic partnership with the Maltese pharmaceutical company Adalvo. At the heart of the expanded collaboration is the joint development of, and global access to, novel therapies based on the active ingredient tirzepatide.
The partners are building on their existing collaboration, which was originally established around the blockbuster drug Wegovy (semaglutide).
With the new agreement, Gedeon Richter and Adalvo are expanding their alliance to one of the most dynamic segments of the global healthcare market today: the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
The agreement is based on joint investments, a flexible dual supply model, and a consistent focus on cost efficiency. The goal of both companies is to offer widely accessible and affordable treatment alternatives once the patents on the current reference drugs expire.
A significant regulatory milestone has already been reached. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted two Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) for a tirzepatide injection for review.
Tirzepatide has quickly emerged as a key compound in the treatment of metabolic diseases.
The latest figures underscore the size of the market potential. Based on company reports, the two best-known tirzepatide products, Mounjaro and Zepbound, generated combined global sales of approximately $36.5 billion in 2025—more than double the previous year’s figure.
“Building on our collaboration on Wegovy, we are pleased to now expand our partnership with Adalvo to include tirzepatide,” commented Bence Kovács, Head of the General Medicines Division at Gedeon Richter. “Our companies’ diverse areas of expertise complement each other perfectly. This diversity, coupled with mutual respect, is the true strength of our alliance,” he added.
Anil Okay, CEO of Adalvo, is also optimistic about the future. “We are preparing for the next era of diabetes and obesity treatment, which will focus on the widespread availability of therapies. We are acting as equal partners. By establishing our market position early on, we aim to ensure that patients worldwide have direct access to these important medications as soon as the market opens,” he explained.
With this move, Gedeon Richter and Adalvo are positioning themselves as key players in a highly competitive environment.
As Világgazdaság previously reported, a battle of the giants has long been looming in the market for modern weight-loss drugs and metabolic therapies between the Danish pioneer Novo Nordisk (Wegovy, Ozempic) and the U.S. company Eli Lilly (Mounjaro, Zepbound).
Through their scientifically grounded approach, global presence, and lean supply model, Gedeon Richter and Adalvo aim to assume a leading role as soon as the exclusivity rights for the original drugs expire and the market is opened up to generics.
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Via Világgazdaság; Featured photo: Pixabay
