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A Look at the Recent Wave of Weight Loss Drugs
With obesity rates continuing to rise globally, the demand for effective treatments has spurred significant advancements in the pharmaceutical industry. The landscape of anti-obesity drugs is evolving at a rapid pace, reshaping the way we approach weight management and overall health.
Obesity has emerged as one of the most pressing public health challenges, posing not only serious health risks, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer, but also placing a significant burden on healthcare systems and economies. And obesity rates worldwide are rising.
That’s why a recent report by Goldman Sachs estimates that over half of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035, and the expects the sector to reach a market size of over $100 billion by 2030.
The Science
Newer drugs, including incretin-mimetics, have shown great promise in the area. By targeting key receptors in the gastrointestinal tract and brain that promote insulin synthesis, GLP1 agonists decrease appetite and promote healthy metabolism. The new wave of drugs is achieving over a 20% loss in weight, compared to interventions in prior years with a more modest 3-11% decrease.
Recent findings published in Science showed that the drug semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy for obesity, led to a 20% lower risk of heart attacks and strokes among people with excess weight and cardiovascular disease, in addition to an average 15% loss in weight.
Despite the progress in the space, however, the path to market approval is fraught with challenges.
Concerns about adverse side effects, including cardiovascular events and psychiatric disorders, underscore the need for thorough risk assessment and post-marketing surveillance. A particularly strange side effect of drugs like semaglutamide is the loss of muscle in addition to weight, as noted by recent studies. Doctors unanimously emphasize the need for resistance training in combination with the drug to maintain muscle mass. These concerns emphasize the need for more effective, safer, and targeted medications.
The Most Promising Weight Loss Drugs
Of the several GLP1 receptor agonists introduced in the last few years, many have been repurposed for weight loss.
Drug Name | Developer | Mechanism |
Wegovy/Ozempic (semaglutide) | Novo Nordisk | GLP1 Receptor Agonist |
Zepbound/Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | Eli Lilly | GLP1 + GIP Receptor Agonist |
Saxenda (liraglutide) | Novo Nordisk | GLP1 Receptor Agonist |
Adipex (phentermine) | Teva | GLP1 Receptor Agonist |
Newer drugs currently in testing development include:
Orforglipron from Eli Lilly, a GLP1 Receptor Agonist
Retatrutide, from Eli Lilly, a GLP1 + GIP Receptor Agonist
Further, monoclonal antibodies (i.e. bimagrumab) are being actively studied as infusions to increase muscle mass while decreasing fat.
The Market
Estimates of a market size in excess of $100 billion are driven by forecasts that over 15 million adults may be treated with anti-obesity drugs by 2030, representing a 13% penetration of the eligible population in the United States alone.
Here are a few important metrics regarding the obesity sector:
Estimated $100 billion market size by 2030
Over 50% of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035, compared to 38% in 2020, according to WOA
CDC estimates obesity-related medical costs in the US were about $173 billion in 2019
The WOA estimates total costs attached to obesity (healthcare and productivity) to exceed $4 trillion worldwide by 2035, or about 3% of global GDP
The antiobesity market is an emerging space, and with pharmaceutical companies increasingly directing resources towards drugs like GLP1 agonists, the sector is poised to continue its growth.
Learn more about drug discovery, the approval process, and further information on the latest FDA policies here.
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