Two pharmaceutical powerhouses are competing to develop the next game-changing weight loss drug as obesity rates continue to climb.
Out of all the players in the pharmaceutical industry scrambling to develop such a drug, the Danish company Novo Nordisk and Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly have reportedly pulled ahead, according to Axios.
The two companies are focusing on drugs that typically fall under a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which have been used to treat type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity, delaying stomach emptying time, and suppressing appetite. Now, they have the potential to be used as a weight loss drug.
GLP-1’s potential for spurring rapid weight loss is being seen as a possible treatment for obesity, an ongoing public health issue affecting people across the county.
A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 41.9% of adults and 19.7% of children in the United States are obese. Since obesity is linked to an array of adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, depression, cancer, and more, the epidemic is estimated to cost Americans approximately $147 billion each year in health care services.
According to CDC data, Texas has 40 counties in which the obesity rate of residents is higher than 40%.
Health officials have long sought ways to tackle the crisis, with weight loss drugs recently appearing as a promising solution.
Currently, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus — all GLP-1 class drugs — are dominating, holding an estimated 55% of GLP-1 market share, according to Axios.
Sales driven by the popularity of the drugs rose 26% year over year to $25.6 billion in 2022.
While the drugs are currently only available as injectables, the drugmaker is running trials on pill versions that can be orally ingested, as recently reported by The Dallas Express.
Still, Eli Lilly is increasingly showing itself to be a possible challenger to Novo Nordisk’s supremacy in the field of weight loss drugs. The company’s new diabetes drug, Mounjaro, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is expected to be cleared for obesity patients by the end of the year, according to Axios.
The company also has a slightly different drug under development called retatrutide, which helped trial participants shed as much as 24% of their body weight over 48 weeks. The trial results set a new record for weight reduction in obesity treatment trials.
Moreover, Eli Lilly recently announced its $1.9 billion acquisition of Versanis Bio, which will give it access to an experimental drug that targets fat cells directly, circumventing the nagging issue of lean muscle loss as a side effect.
Known as bimagrumab, the drug was initially developed by Novartis to treat pathological muscle loss and weakness. Yet trials showed it was also effective at shedding fat. Eli Lilly’s acquisition of the drug was described by UBS analyst Colin Bristow as capable of “cement[ing] its positioning as the long-term leader in the space,” per Axios.
“We applaud this deal, which brings a novel mechanism to [Eli Lilly’s] already industry-leading obesity franchise/pipeline,” Bristow said.
Still, as the competition goes on within the burgeoning market of weight loss drugs, some health experts question whether they are the best solution to the obesity epidemic.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, many experts have stressed the need to look for solutions beyond medications.
For instance, in an interview with The Guardian, Graham MacGregor, who teaches cardiovascular medicine in London at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, argued that the use of weight loss drugs to treat obesity ignored its root cause: an unhealthy diet.
“Unhealthy food is the biggest cause of death and disability in the whole world,” MacGregor claimed.
Concerns over the potential side effects of weight loss drugs have also emerged.
There have been reports of diarrhea, muscle spasms, increased pancreatic and liver enzymes, not to mention aesthetic complaints — such as “Ozempic face” and “Ozempic butt” — caused by sudden extreme weight loss.
GLP-1 treatments have recently become the target of increased scrutiny by the European Medicines Agency. It is currently reviewing data from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly upon learning of adverse effects, such as a heightened risk of suicidal thoughts among users taking their medications.
Yet another issue plaguing the manufacturers of GLP-1 class drugs is meeting customer demand.
Supply chain issues and soaring demand have led to several shortages of Ozempic and the rise of some questionable alternatives, as reported by The Dallas Express.