Piper sees GLP-1s increasing demand for knee/hip surgeries near-term (NYSE:NVO)

Piper Sandler mentioned it expects upcoming outcomes from a Novo Nordisk (NVO) examine of its weight-loss drug semaglutide within the remedy of osteoarthritis to be “mediocre” and demand for knee and hip replacements to extend near-term as extra sufferers qualify for surgical procedure as a result of weight reduction.

The funding financial institution mentioned in a current notice that the Novo Nordisk Part 3 examine, referred to as STEP 9, will doubtless present that some osteoarthritis sufferers who took semaglutide felt much less joint ache as a result of lowered pressure on their joints. Nevertheless, it doesn’t imagine the outcomes would have a near-term web affect on knee replacements because the drug wouldn’t reverse present harm and movement issues are a serious motive why such surgical procedures are carried out.

Novo Nordisk markets semaglutide below the model names Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight reduction. The drug belongs to a category of medicines referred to as GLP-1s.

STEP 9 has been evaluating semaglutide within the discount of osteoarthritis ache in folks with weight problems. Piper mentioned topline outcomes from the examine, which has 407 sufferers, had been anticipated in October, however now look extra doubtless in Q1 2024.

The financial institution mentioned that whereas the STEP 9 examine in all probability gained’t result in an expanded label for semaglutide, it helps lay the inspiration for added research for semaglutide and/or maybe one other GLP-1 drug.

What affect the recognition of semaglutide would have on the medical machine business has been debatable. Some have argued {that a} slimmer inhabitants would wish fewer joint replacements as a result of lowered pressure on the joints. Others level out that extra folks would qualify for surgical procedure in the event that they misplaced weight, plus thinner folks would doubtless be placing extra stress on their joints by way of elevated exercise, which in flip would improve demand.

Piper sees the long run yielding blended outcomes. The funding financial institution sees weight reduction medicine resulting in increased demand for replacements of weight-bearing joints comparable to knees and doubtless hips till round 2040 as extra folks with present joint harm would qualify for surgical procedure. Corporations positioned to learn from that pattern would come with Stryker (NYSE:SYK) and Zimmer Biomet (NYSE:ZBH).

Extra particularly, the financial institution sees a roughly 10% improve in knee and hip procedures within the subsequent 7 to 10 years as a result of increased BMI sufferers shedding sufficient weight to qualify for surgical procedure. After round 20 years, Piper sees a slowdown within the mid-teens as sufferers incur much less joint harm as a result of weight.

Piper notes that the shares of orthopedic corporations comparable to OrthoPediatrics (KIDS) and Paragon 28 (FNA) have been below stress partially as a result of GLP-1 considerations though they doubtless wouldn’t be impacted. OrthoPediatrics is a maker of orthopedic units for kids, for which GLP-1 meds usually are not accredited, whereas Paragon 28 makes units for ft and ankles, that are typically extra affected by movement than weight.

“We perceive that these small caps are additionally being impacted by the present rate of interest surroundings however imagine their valuations are compelling at current,” Piper added.

Pipers has chubby rankings on KIDS, FNA, SYK and ZBH.