New York, Jan 14, 2026, 19:30 EST — After-hours
- AbbVie shares edged up roughly 0.5% in after-hours trading, staying close to $222
- Executives detailed plans to target the obesity-drug sector as Big Pharma intensifies its pursuit of the weight-loss market
- Investors are keeping an eye on Washington’s pricing pressure ahead of AbbVie’s earnings report on Feb. 4
AbbVie Inc’s shares climbed roughly 0.5% to $221.89 in after-hours trading Wednesday, following executives’ announcement to expand the company’s footprint in obesity treatments. During the regular session, the stock fluctuated between $217.84 and $223.27.
The timing is crucial. AbbVie continues to push for growth beyond its legacy blockbusters as biosimilar competition intensifies — these cheaper copies of complex biologic drugs usually drive prices down.
Investors are still ready to pay a premium for weight-loss drugs, even those early in development and costly. AbbVie is entering the fray belatedly, and Wall Street has been swift to slam “me too” projects that seem weak.
AbbVie is placing its bets on GUBamy, a weight-loss drug it licensed last year from Denmark’s Gubra, as it pushes deeper into obesity treatments. Chief medical officer Roopal Thakkar told the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference the focus is on “tolerability and durability of weight loss” for patients who’ve “cycled off” earlier therapies. The company highlighted its “longer acting amylin” strategy as the foundation. Amylin, a hormone tied to appetite, is being positioned by AbbVie as an alternative to GLP-1 drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. Early data cited by AbbVie suggests amylin-based drugs might better preserve muscle. 1
AbbVie faces pressure on obesity treatments while navigating U.S. pricing politics. On Monday, it announced a three-year deal with President Donald Trump’s administration to cut drug prices. The company also committed $100 billion over the next decade to U.S. research, development, and manufacturing. Part of the agreement includes expanding direct-to-patient services via the TrumpRx program. AbbVie noted the deal grants exemptions from tariffs and future pricing rules, though some terms remain undisclosed. 2
Speaking at the same conference, chief commercial officer Jeffrey Stewart praised Skyrizi and Rinvoq as “exceptional products.” He revealed AbbVie plans ten head-to-head trials targeting “all major mechanisms” to sustain its drive in immunology. Stewart acknowledged Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya as “a good competitor,” adding the market is “not a zero-sum game.” 3
Traders are now weighing if AbbVie’s move into obesity is a genuine foothold or just a holding pattern. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly continue to lead the sector, with investors rapidly shifting funds at the slightest sign of advantage—or the absence of one.
The downside is straightforward. Weight-loss drugs might fail in larger trials, side effects could limit dosing options, and insurers are increasingly pushing back on long-term coverage, adding pricing pressure.
AbbVie’s next major event is set for Feb. 4, when it will release full-year and Q4 2025 results before the U.S. market opens. The company will hold a webcast at 8 a.m. Central time. Investors are focused on 2026 guidance, updates on its obesity pipeline, and any fresh details on U.S. pricing pressures. 4
