Race is on to develop new generation of weight-loss drugs
Surging demand and tight supply for a new class of obesity drugs has sparked a race among several of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies to develop rival medications for a market projected to be worth $50bn in annual revenues by the end of the decade.
Eli Lilly, Amgen, Pfizer and Regeneron are among the companies aiming to compete with market leader Novo Nordisk in a category which analysts say is rapidly becoming a healthcare priority and could produce several blockbuster obesity treatments this decade.
Nordisk’s treatment Wegovy, which a late-stage trial showed produced 15 per cent average weight loss in patients’ body weight, has proven so popular since its launch in 2021 that the drug has been in short supply for almost a year.
Baras said the GLP-1 drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been a “fantastic development for the field”. But another drug or a combination of drugs have the potential to increase weight loss, and could come without GLP-1 side effects such as nausea.
In an animal study, which he stresses are imperfect models, the changes to the GPR75 gene made them lose at least as much weight as if they were taking the GLP-1 drugs.
“The current medicines that exist for obesity are good, they are not perfect. They are still going to leave substantial residual weight. It would be great to have more beneficial weight reduction,” Baras said.
Health experts say the development of effective medicines to treat obesity that do not appear to have dangerous side effects is helping to ease concerns over weight loss drugs. But there are hurdles to overcome in terms of persuading insurers to cover the cost of treatments, with prices for Wegovy listed at $1,349 per month.
Medicare, the federal US insurance scheme for people aged over 65 years and with disabilities, does not cover obesity treatments. Many private insurers do not cover the treatments or place restrictions on access.
“The real hurdle that’s going to have to be addressed is getting coverage by insurance companies for these medications,” said Patrick O’Neil, an expert on obesity at Medical University of South Carolina. “That is the next cultural shift that is needed.”
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Jamie Smyth
