Opella Healthcare Group SAS

PARIS, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study has established that treatment with essential phospholipids (Essentiale) resulted in a 2.5 times greater reduction in liver fat, significant improvement in fatigue and improvement of glycaemic control in individuals with Metabolic dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) - also known as 'Fatty Liver Disease' - than diet and exercise alone. The results were found by the EXCEL clinical trial from Essentiale (an Opella brand) - a multi-centre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and the first of its kind to test essential phospholipids (EPLs). The study examined MASLD patients with comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, or obesity. MASLD is the most prevalent chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting an estimated 30% of the adult population, with projections indicating over 55% of adults worldwide will be affected by 2040[1]. Often considered a "silent" condition, fatty liver disease is frequently associated with a debilitating constellation of symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, sleep issues, bloating, depressive symptoms, anxiety and metabolic risks. Professor Norbert Stefan, Holder of the Chair of Clinical and Experimental Diabetology at the University of Tübingen. "This groundbreaking research marks an important moment for the millions of people currently living with MASLD. The EXCEL study underscores the clinical importance of early intervention and bridges the gap between scientific evidence and patient experience. By demonstrating measurable improvements in liver fat reduction and improvement of fatigue, this study reinforces the vital message that effective, evidence-based options exist to transform outcomes and restore hope for a more energized life in people with MASLD." The EXCEL study used modern, non-invasive imaging to measure liver fat alongside a validated, disease-specific questionnaire to assess the treatment's impact on patient wellbeing. The main trial results showed that, when used in addition to diet and exercise, essential phospholipids were associated with: A 2.5 times greater reduction in liver fat compared with lifestyle intervention alone, as measured by FibroScan CAP (Controlled Attenuation Parameter). A statistically significant improvement in patient-reported fatigue, a primary and often overlooked symptom of MASLD. This outcome was formally assessed using the validated CLDQ-MASLD score, a standardized measure of well-being in individuals with chronic liver disease. The study also noted that treatment with EPLs significantly reduced HbA1c levels, a key marker for glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, making the findings particularly relevant for the large percentage of MASLD patients with co-existing metabolic conditions. Nikunj Thakker Global Brand General Manager Essentiale, Opella. "The EXCEL study proves that timing is everything. When caught early, a significant portion of MASLD cases can be reversible. This evidence-based treatment, using essential phospholipids combined with diet and exercise, actively reduces liver fat and tackles debilitating fatigue head-on, changing outcomes for the billions globally living with Fatty Liver Disease." The full study methodology and findings were published in Liver International: . [1] Bellentani S., Scaglioni F., Marino M., and Bedogni G., "Epidemiology of Non–Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease," Digestive Diseases 28, no. 1 (2010): 155–161. 21% more press release views with Request a Demo

All but four of the world's top-20 drugmakers achieved growth in 2025 led by Eli Lilly, which was up 45%. No other top-20 company increased its sales by more than 10%. Boosted by a 45% increase in sales in 2025, Eli Lilly has jumped six notches in the annual top-20 revenue ranking, becoming the third-largest company in the biopharma industry. The Indianapolis drugmaker increased its sales from $45 billion in 2024 to $65.2 billion last year, catapulting past Bristol Myers Squibb, Novartis, AstraZeneca, AbbVie, Pfizer and Merck in the rankings.Accounting for nearly all of Lilly’s $20.2 billion increase in sales in 2025 were its diabetes and obesity drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound. In 2025, the duo generated combined sales of $36.5 billion, which were up from $16.5 billion in 2024. The tirzepatide treatments accounted for 56% of Lilly’s revenue in 2025, up from 37% in 2024. In this decade, Lilly has leaped from No. 15 in the rankings in 2020 to its current spot at No. 3.Fueled by its own diabetes and obesity products, Novo Nordisk had been on a similar trajectory earlier in the decade, jumping from No. 17 in the rankings in 2020 to No. 11 in 2024. Novo more than doubled its revenue during that period, but the momentum of the Danish company has stalled, as it remained at No. 11 last year after a 6% increase in sales. It was the first year this decade that Novo did not achieve a double-digit sales increase.  Novo is likely to go in the opposite direction in 2026 as it is projecting a decline in sales of between 5% and 13%. CEO Mike Doustdar blamed “unprecedented pricing pressures” for his company's anticipated sales slide, also citing “intensifying competition” and the most favored nation (MFN) pricing deal the company struck with the Trump administration last fall.  The year also featured a figurative passing of the torch from Novo to Lilly, as its semaglutide duo, Ozempic and Wegovy, racked up combined sales of $31 billion, failing for the first time to top the combined sales of Mounjaro and Zepbound.  At the top of the rankings again in 2025 was Johnson & Johnson with sales of $94.2 billion. J&J has held the top spot every year since 2012, except for 2022, when Pfizer jumped to No. 1, becoming the first drugmaker in history to exceed the $100 billion mark. That leap was largely due to combined sales of $56.7 billion for its COVID products, Comirnaty and Paxlovid.J&J has a chance to top the century mark this year as it is projecting sales to come in at between $99.5 billion and $101.08 billion. Since spinning off its consumer health unit, Kenvue, in 2023, J&J has seen its revenue increase at a higher rate each year, reaching 6% last year.  Aside from Lilly’s rise, there were few changes in the top-20 rankings in 2025. Bristol Myers Squibb, which was one of four companies in the top 20 which had a revenue decline in 2025, dropped two notches to No. 10. The company cited declining sales of its legacy drugs, which were down 16%. Those products include blood cancer blockbusters Revlimid and Pomalyst. Moving up a notch to No. 9 and surpassing BMS was Sanofi, which had a 10% increase in sales. The French company ranked No. 6 in 2023 before it sold off its consumer health unit, Opella, and dropped to No. 10 in 2024. Like J&J, Sanofi has seen an uptick in growth since divesting.Another company that saw revenue decline in 2025 and dropped one notch was Takeda, which moved to No. 15. Moving up a rung to No. 14 was Boehringer Ingelheim, which saw a 4% increase in sales.There were no new companies in the top 20 this year. At the bottom of the rankings, CSL, with $15.4 billion in revenue in 2025, remained ahead of Regeneron ($14.3 billion) and Viatris ($14.3 billion), with Japanese drugmakers Astellas ($13.8 billion) and Daiichi Sankyo ($13.7 billion) also close behind.

Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare markets several popular over-the-counter treatments, such as the decades-old combination cold remedy Lulu and the anti-inflammatory pain and fever reducer Loxonin. With Daiichi Sankyo’s priorities increasingly tied to its innovative medicines—and its oncology portfolio in particular—the Tokyo-based drugmaker is following in the footsteps of several of its peers with a deal to split from its consumer health business. Daiichi has entered an agreement with Japanese beverage giant Suntory Holdings to transfer all shares in its subsidiary, Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare, which markets (PDF) a slate of popular over-the-counter treatments, including the decades-old combination cold remedy Lulu and the anti-inflammatory pain and fever reducer Loxonin. The current deal framework places the transfer value at 246.5 billion Japanese yen (roughly $1.55 billion), Daiichi Sankyo said in an April 15 press release (PDF). As it stands, Daiichi plans to carry out the transfer in stages, starting with the handover of 30% of its consumer health subsidiary’s shares this June. The entire process is expected to wrap up by June 2029, according to the company. Daiichi Sankyo currently holds 100% of the shares in the healthcare unit being sold to Suntory.  In its release, Daiichi framed the deal as a means to ensure growth for its over-the-counter drugs business, which has also branched out into areas like skincare, oral care and food products. In turn, Daiichi said that moving forward, it would drill down on its innovative medicines business, and “particularly the oncology business.” Daiichi Sankyo has asserted itself in recent years as a force to be reckoned with among antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) developers, thanks to the success of its two AstraZeneca-partnered products, Enhertu and Datroway. Enhertu has been cleared across breast, gastric and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), plus HER2-positive solid tumors, while Datroway—first approved early last year—is indicated for certain patients with breast cancer and NSCLC. At the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference earlier this year, Daiichi CEO Hiroyuki Okuzawa set out the ambition for his company’s ADCs to cover 700,000 eligible patients by fiscal year 2030—an impressive leap from the 120,000 the company tallied for its 2025 fiscal year, which ended in March.  Apart from Daiichi, a growing number of drugmakers have elected to part ways with their over-the-counter businesses in recent years. Most recently, Sanofi scooped up 10 billion euros last spring by selling a controlling stake in its consumer health business Opella to U.S. private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. Prior to that, prominent consumer health spinouts have been charted by Johnson & Johnson with its Kenvue business and GSK via Haleon, among multiple other recent examples.