My aunt Mildred, God bless her, is currently attempting to lose weight with a drug that requires a weekly injection. She describes it as “a small, but insistent betrayal” by her own body. It’s working, apparently, but mostly she just seems annoyed at the inconvenience. Which brings us, rather predictably, to the stock market. Because if Mildred’s suffering translates into profit, well, someone’s going to be pleased, and it won’t be her.
Wegovy and Zepbound, those names sound like villains in a low-budget sci-fi film, have been doing quite well, thank you. Top ten best-selling drugs. It’s a little unsettling, isn’t it? The casual commodification of desperation. Anyway, two companies, Amgen (AMGN +0.66%) and Roche (OTC: RHHB.Y), are poised to enter this lucrative, and frankly, slightly depressing market. The question isn’t necessarily whether these drugs work – they seem to, at least temporarily – but whether the stocks are worth a look. I’ve been staring at the charts, trying to decipher the meaning, and mostly I just feel tired.
Amgen: The Monthly Option
Amgen’s candidate, MariTide, is interesting. Not because of its chemical composition, of course – I wouldn’t know a peptide from a pomegranate – but because it might be a monthly injection. The current leaders are weekly. A whole extra week of freedom. Or, more realistically, a whole extra week of worrying about whether the injection site is inflamed. My cousin, a nurse, tells me it’s usually just a little redness, but she says that about everything. She also suggested I invest in medical-grade bandages. She’s always thinking of the little things.
They’ve finished phase 2 trials, which sounds promising, and are moving into phase 3. Three years, they say, before potential approval. Plenty of time for the market to shift, for a competitor to emerge, or for my aunt Mildred to decide she prefers cake. Amgen also lost patent exclusivity on a bone-density drug. It’s a reminder that even the most reliable revenue streams eventually dry up. They have other drugs in the pipeline, thankfully. Cancer treatments, eczema medications. It’s a diversified portfolio, which is good. Like a sensible shoe collection. You need options.
They also make Tezspire for asthma and Repatha for cholesterol. Solid, dependable drugs. And they pay a dividend. A small, but appreciated gesture. It’s nice to be rewarded for simply existing. I’m not saying it justifies the entire capitalist system, but it’s a start.
Roche: The Oral Promise
Roche’s CT-388 showed a 22.5% weight loss in trials. Which is…significant. I suppose. It’s hard to quantify desperation. They’re planning phase 3 trials, and they also have another candidate, CT-996, which might be an oral medication. A pill. Imagine that. No injections. No redness. Just a little something to swallow with your morning coffee. It sounds almost…civilized.
They already have cancer drugs and eye-disease treatments. A steady stream of revenue, apparently, until 2038. Management seems confident. Which is always a little unnerving. I prefer a healthy dose of pessimism. It’s more realistic. They have a deep pipeline, which is good. Lots of potential future products. It’s like having a fully stocked pantry. You never know what you might need.
Roche, like Amgen, seems like a solid, long-term investment. Not a get-rich-quick scheme, but a sensible, dependable addition to a portfolio. The kind of stock you can forget about for a few years and then be pleasantly surprised by the returns. It’s not exciting, but it’s reassuring. And frankly, in this market, reassurance is a rare and valuable commodity.
I’m still not entirely comfortable with the idea of profiting from other people’s struggles. But then again, I’m also not a saint. And my aunt Mildred is still complaining about the injections. It’s a complicated world. And the stock market, well, it’s just a reflection of that. A slightly distorted, occasionally terrifying, but ultimately…human reflection.
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2026-02-05 18:54