Weight-loss drug developers line up to tap lucrative market as competition heats up
LLY•Analysts expect the weight-loss drug sector to generate about $100 billion in annual sales in the next decade as developers advance pills and experimental treatments. Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and other companies reported trial results, development plans and commercial milestones.
1. Market outlook
The weight-loss drug market is drawing biotech and pharmaceutical companies seeking a share of a sector dominated by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Analysts expect the sector to generate about $100 billion in annual sales in the next decade.
2. Developers advance treatments
Novo CEO Mike Doustdar said weight-loss pills could capture as much as half of the global obesity drug market by 2030. Novo reported amycretin produced up to 14.5% weight loss at 36 weeks in a mid-stage study of patients with type 2 diabetes, while CagriSema helped patients lose 22.7% in one late-stage trial, below the company's 25% expectation. Pfizer said its monthly injection PF-3944 produced up to 12.3% weight loss in patients without diabetes, with no plateau observed at week 28.
3. Trial and market updates
Lilly said its experimental EloraTZP helped patients with diabetes lose an average 23.3% of body weight over 48 weeks at the highest tested dose, compared with 14.8% for Zepbound in a mid-stage trial. Lilly also said it had captured more than 30% of new U.S. patients for oral obesity treatments. Other companies described results and plans for experimental drugs, including Roche's enicepatide, Amgen's MariTide, and Viking Therapeutics' VK2735.
