Next-Gen Weight-Loss Drugs Set To Up The Game From Ozempic And Mounjaro: WSJ

The race to develop weight-loss drugs more potent than the popular Ozempic is heating up, with several promising contenders on the horizon, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Novo Nordisk’s (NYSE:NVO) Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s (NYSE:LLY) Mounjaro have seen a surge in demand due to their effectiveness in helping people lose significantly more weight than older medications. These drugs mimic a gut hormone that suppresses appetite and induces a feeling of fullness.

Next-Generation Weight-Loss Drugs

Researchers are now focusing on developing next-generation weight-loss drugs that build on the science behind Ozempic and Mounjaro. For instance, Eli Lilly’s experimental drug, retatrutide, adds a third gut hormone to the mix, which could potentially enhance weight loss beyond appetite suppression and reduce fat in the liver.

Early results from a mid-stage clinical trial of retatrutide showed that it helped people lose up to 24% of their body weight — an average of 58 pounds — after 48 weeks of treatment. If these results hold, retatrutide could rival bariatric surgery, traditionally considered the most effective weight-loss treatment.

Market Expansion and New Entrants

The success of Ozempic and Mounjaro has attracted new players to the rapidly expanding market for weight-loss drugs, including Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Boehringer Ingelheim. These companies, along with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, are all vying to develop drugs that can outperform Ozempic.

If successful, these new drugs could revolutionize the treatment of obesity, transforming it into a condition that can be managed with prescriptions, much like hypertension or high cholesterol.

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